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Can I get dental implants if I smoke?

Answered by Dr. Blake Hauer

The quick answer

Yes. Nobody here will turn you away because you smoke. Smoking does raise the risk to how your implants heal, and how much you smoke matters. The research draws the line at about half a pack a day. If you can cut down before surgery and stay off it for six to eight weeks afterward, you give yourself noticeably better odds.

In this answer

Half a pack a day is the line

The American Academy of Periodontology draws a line at ten cigarettes a day when it grades gum disease. Under ten is one grade, and ten or more is the more serious one. We use the same line for implant risk.

A pack is twenty cigarettes, so ten a day is half a pack.

Smoking and implant failure

Failures for every 1,000 people followed for a year

Taking other factors into account, current smokers were 1.59 times as likely to have an implant fail. Former smokers: 1.16 times, which was not a clear difference.

Implants that failed, 107 studies

Implants failed most often in people who smoked, and least often in people who never had. In the Korean study, the chance also went up for people who smoked more than ten cigarettes a day. That is the line this page uses.

Left: 23,573 Korean adults followed through national health insurance records from 2016 to 2019. There were 605 failures, counted when an implant was removed or replaced. The summary gives no figure for the more-than-ten-a-day group, so none is drawn. Right: 107 studies added together, with 19,836 implants in smokers and 60,464 in non-smokers. The authors warn that other differences between the groups may explain part of the result. Neither study is about full arch in particular.

Sources
  1. Kim YR, Son M, Kim HJ, Kim SR. Association between smoking and the risk of dental implant failure in Korean adults: a nationwide cohort study. Epidemiol Health. 2026;48:e2026002. doi:10.4178/epih.e2026002. PMID 41566970.
  2. Chrcanovic BR, Albrektsson T, Wennerberg A. Smoking and dental implants: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent. 2015;43(5):487-98. doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2015.03.003. PMID 25778741.

Why smoking slows healing

Smoking narrows your blood vessels, and blood flow is what heals an implant site. The chemicals in the smoke also pass straight across gum tissue that's trying to close over a fresh wound.

Vaping is no different. Any vapor in the mouth gets in the way of early healing.

Before surgery

Cut down or stop for a month or two before, if you can. Patches or another option are worth asking your doctor about. The aim is to keep smoke and vapor out of your mouth while it heals.

They were very patient and understanding, and they took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns.
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After surgery

Ideally, none at all. If that isn't realistic, wait at least six to eight weeks. That's the time your mouth needs to heal properly, with good blood flow and no heat, and smoke cuts the blood flow and brings the heat.

How we'll help

We can't quit for you, and we won't lecture you either. We'll tell you plainly where the risk sits, and the decision is yours.

Quick answers

Is vaping safer than smoking after implant surgery?

No. Any vapor in your mouth gets in the way of early healing.

What if I start smoking again after healing?

It raises your risk of infection around the implants (peri-implantitis) and of losing an implant. Across the published studies, implants in smokers fail about twice as often as implants in non-smokers and lose more bone at the edge, and smoking is on the current expert list of risk factors for peri-implant disease. That's no reason to stop coming in, and nobody here will lecture you. Just tell us, and we'll keep a closer eye. The yearly removal and check stays, the gap between checkups gets shorter, and we look more closely at the gum around each implant.

Hear it on the podcast

Ep. 3529 minGum disease, and what it means for implantsQuestions answeredFrom 23:16 · January 20, 2026

Read next

What is periodontal disease, and why does it lead to full-arch implants?

Periodontal disease is an imbalance in the mouth's bacteria that goes on for years. Slowly it breaks down the bone, inflames the gums, and loosens teeth until they're lost. It's the most common road to full-arch treatment. Most people who need a full arch got here after years of gum disease that was never treated or never stayed under control.

Answered by Dr. Blake Hauer

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Can I get dental implants if I have diabetes?

Yes. And it's one of the few risk factors you can improve before surgery. What matters is whether your diabetes is under control. An A1C between six and seven is a very different picture from an A1C of nine. If yours is high, we'd rather work with your doctor first than rush you into surgery.

Answered by Dr. Blake Hauer

Read the full answer
What is peri-implantitis, and how is it different from gum disease?

Peri-implantitis is inflammation and bone loss around an implant. It's the implant version of gum disease, and it can move faster. A natural tooth is held in by a ligament and a root layer called cementum. An implant has neither, so the gum holds on less firmly and trouble can build more quickly. That's why your yearly check matters even more once you have implants.

Answered by Dr. Blake Hauer

Read the full answer

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Done In One Implant Centers are independently owned and operated within a network of dental practices managed by licensed dentists. The American Dental Association does not recognize any specialty field specifically for dental implant treatment. Done In One providers are proficient in both implant placement and restorative dentistry and may consist of general dentists, prosthodontists, oral surgeons, and periodontists. The Done In One procedure refers to a procedure consisting of extractions (if needed), bone reduction, implant placement, and a permanent (zirconia) implant-supported prosthesis placed on either arch (upper or lower) or both. Done In One specializes in the immediate occlusal-loading protocol, which is defined as an implant-supported restoration in occlusal contact within two (2) weeks of the implant insertion. The Done In One procedure can be offered to qualified patients based on a full examination, radiographs, and initial workup. Not all patients will qualify. In most cases, qualified patients that do not need additional sinus augmentation can have the Done In One procedure completed and typically receive a final zirconia prosthesis within one week after extractions. Patients will receive a provisional prosthesis within 24 hours after surgery that will allow them functionality until their final zirconia prosthesis is fabricated. Results and timeframes of the delivery of a final prosthesis will vary on a case-by-case basis. Done In One exclusively utilizes an implant system that is appropriately registered, listed, and has a 510(k) clearance from the FDA. After many years of clinical studies and evaluations, the success rate of modern dental implants installed by qualified clinicians has been estimated at over 90% after 10 years. With proper hygiene and routine maintenance, the Done In One procedure can provide patients with dental implants that can last decades and potentially a lifetime. The average lifespan of the prostheses will vary depending on patient wear but is covered under a standard warranty for the first two (2) years from the date of surgery, as long as annual recare requirements are met. An optional extended, indefinite warranty is available and can be paid monthly or annually.

Studies show that patients treated with implant-supported prostheses judge their overall psychological health as improved by 80%—due to increased longevity, improved function, and increased bone preservation—over the wearing of traditional dentures. Studies also conclude that the replacement of decaying teeth that are prone to infection with an implant-supported prosthesis will typically result in the improvement of a patient’s overall physical health. Results may vary.

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