Implant Adoption Is Rising Fast—Should You Get Ahead of the Curve?

More Patients Than Ever Are Choosing Dental Implants. Here’s Why That Matters for You.

If it feels like more people around you are talking about dental implants lately, that’s not a coincidence. National data shows implant use among adults with missing teeth has climbed sharply over the past two decades, and researchers expect that growth to keep accelerating. Back in 1999, dental implants were still a niche, expensive option that most general dentists rarely placed. Today, they’re quickly becoming the standard of care for replacing missing teeth—and the number of patients choosing implants over dental bridges or dentures keeps climbing every year.

At The Issaquah Dentist, Dr. Ron Sherman sees this shift firsthand. Patients who once assumed implants were “too involved” or “not for them” are now asking about candidacy at their very first visit. If you’ve been missing a tooth for a while and have been putting off doing anything about it, this is a good moment to understand what the numbers are actually telling us—and whether waiting any longer makes sense for you.

Ready to restore your smile? Contact our dental office in Issaquah at (431) 391-4964 to schedule your dental appointment. We welcome patients in Issaquah and surrounding areas like Sammamish, Bellevue, Newport, Seattle, and many more.

What the Research Actually Shows

A national study analyzing survey data from 1999 through 2016 found that implant prevalence among adults with missing teeth rose dramatically over that period, with the most significant increases seen among older adults and patients with less formal education—groups that had historically been underserved when it came to implant access. 

Looking ahead, researchers modeled a range of projections for growth through 2026, with estimates for implant prevalence ranging from roughly 6% on the conservative end up to 23% in faster-growth scenarios, based on survey-weighted statistical models applied to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data.

Separately, industry tracking from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) puts the current number of Americans with at least one dental implant at around 3 million, with roughly 500,000 new implant patients added every year.

Put those two data points together, and the pattern is clear: implants aren’t a passing trend. They’re becoming the expected way to replace a missing tooth, not the exception.

Why Adoption Is Accelerating

A few forces are driving this growth at the same time:

• An aging population with more missing teeth. As people live longer, more patients are dealing with tooth loss from decay, gum disease, or old dental work that’s finally failing—and implants have become the go-to solution because they don’t rely on neighboring teeth or shift like removable dentures.
• Wider access than ever before. Implant dentistry used to be concentrated among specialists in major metro areas. Now, general dentists with the right training, like Dr. Sherman at The Issaquah Dentist, routinely place and restore implants as part of everyday practice, which means patients don’t have to travel far or wait months for a specialist referral.
• Better long-term outcomes patients can count on. Bridges reshape healthy adjacent teeth to support a gap, and dentures rest on the gums without stopping the bone loss that continues after a tooth is lost. Implants stand on their own, place no load on neighboring teeth, and actively help preserve jawbone structure—advantages that are increasingly well understood by patients doing their own research before ever stepping into a dental office.
• Financing and insurance options have matured. As implants have become more common, more financing plans and partial insurance coverage options have emerged to make treatment accessible, removing one of the biggest historical barriers to choosing implants over cheaper, shorter-term fixes.

Should You “Get Ahead of the Curve”?

Here’s the practical takeaway: the longer a tooth stays missing, the more the surrounding bone tends to shrink—a process that starts quietly and speeds up the longer it’s left untreated. Waiting doesn’t just delay treatment; in some cases, it can turn a straightforward single-implant case into one that requires bone grafting or a sinus lift first, simply because the jaw has had more time to change shape without a tooth root there to maintain it.

That doesn’t mean every case is urgent, and it doesn’t mean implants are the right choice for absolutely everyone. But if you’ve been missing a tooth for months (or years) and have been telling yourself you’ll “deal with it eventually,” the growing body of long-term outcome data is a good reason to move that conversation up your list. A consultation costs you nothing but a little time, and it gives you a real, personalized answer instead of a guess based on outdated assumptions about cost, pain, or candidacy.

What to Expect If You Decide to Move Forward

If you do decide implants are worth exploring, the path typically looks like this:

1. Consultation and Imaging: Dr. Sherman reviews your medical history and takes digital imaging to evaluate your bone density, gum health, and the specific location of the missing tooth or teeth.
2. Treatment Planning: If you have enough healthy bone, you move straight to placement; if not, bone grafting or a sinus lift may be recommended first to build a stable foundation.
3. Implant Placement: The titanium post is placed under local anesthesia, with sedation options available for anxious patients.
4. Healing (Osseointegration): Over the following months, the bone fuses to the implant, creating the stability implants are known for.
5. Final Restoration: Once healing is complete, a custom crown, bridge, or implant-supported denture is attached and matched to your natural teeth.

Every case is different, and cost depends on how many teeth you’re replacing, whether bone grafting is needed, and which final restoration you choose—which is exactly why a personalized consultation, not a generic online price, is the right next step.

Schedule Your Consultation with Dr. Sherman in Issaquah, WA

If the growing number of patients choosing implants has you wondering whether it’s time to stop putting off your own treatment, Dr. Ron Sherman and the team at The Issaquah Dentist are ready to walk you through your options. Call (425) 391-4964 to schedule a dental implant consultation, or visit us at 5825 221st PL. SE, Ste. 100, Issaquah, WA 98027.

As your trusted Issaquah dentist, we welcome patients from Issaquah and surrounding communities, including Sammamish, Bellevue, North Bend, Redmond, Newport, and Seattle, WA.