Our in-house dental implant treatment procedure eliminates several steps other dentists may require. Valley Dental Health offers an all-inclusive approach to a single dental implant in Hunt Valley, MD, that streamlines your route to a healthy, functional, and beautiful smile.
Our dental implant services include consultation, state-of-the-art treatment planning, surgical implantation, post-op checkup, dental design and fabrication, and final fitting, all from the comfort of our local dental office.
Problems Caused by a Missing or Compromised Tooth
Losing a tooth or living with a broken one does more than just affect your smile. It can cause a chain reaction of problems that get worse over time if not treated. When you’re missing even one tooth, your mouth begins to change in ways that can impact your health, appearance, and daily life.
Bone Loss and Facial Sagging
One of the biggest issues is bone loss in your jaw. Teeth stimulate your jawbone every time you chew, keeping it strong and healthy. Without this stimulation, the bone starts to shrink away. This can make your face look older because your cheeks sag inward where the tooth is missing. Over several years, significant bone loss can even change your facial structure.
Crooked Teeth
Your remaining teeth also suffer when there’s a gap in your smile. Nearby teeth shift into the empty space, causing crooked teeth and bite problems. This misalignment can lead to jaw pain, headaches, and uneven wear on your teeth. Chewing becomes less efficient too, which might cause you to avoid certain healthy foods. Many people with missing teeth develop digestive issues because they can’t chew their food properly.
Infections
A damaged tooth that’s cracked or severely decayed creates different but equally serious problems. Bacteria can enter through cracks and cause infections in the tooth’s root. These infections sometimes spread to other parts of your body. A compromised tooth also becomes weaker over time, so it’s more likely to break completely during normal eating.
Self-esteem
Perhaps the most overlooked consequence is how missing or bad teeth affect confidence. Studies show people with dental problems often smile less, avoid social situations, and may even perform worse at job interviews. The good news is modern dentistry offers several solutions to fix these problems and restore both your smile and oral health. Replacing missing teeth or repairing damaged ones can prevent all these issues and help you feel like yourself again.
If you’re dealing with any of these issues, our dentists can explain your options and help you choose the best path forward. From chronic halitosis to an increased risk of developing gum disease, a missing tooth is both a cosmetic and oral health concern.
The sooner you seek treatment for your missing tooth, the more effective and conservative the treatment will be. Dr. Roham Rafat offers dental implants because they’re the best solution for replacing a missing tooth.
Patient Review
The Single Dental Implant Procedure
Losing a tooth can be stressful, but a dental implant can help. First, Dr. Rafat places a small titanium post into your jawbone where your missing tooth was. Titanium is special because your bone actually grows around it and bonds with it over time. This is called osseointegration.
Over the next 3 to 6 months, your jawbone heals and fuses with the implant, making it super strong and stable. This keeps your jawbone healthy and prevents the bone loss that normally happens with missing teeth.
Once your implant has fully bonded with your jawbone, Dr. Rafat attaches a custom-made dental crown to the top. This crown is designed to match your other teeth perfectly. It will be the right shape, size, and color so it blends in naturally with your smile. Unlike dentures or bridges, you’ll care for it just like a real tooth.
Choose an implant over other options:
- Looks & feels real: No one will know it’s not your natural tooth
- Protects your jawbone: Prevents bone loss that changes your face shape over time
- No slipping or discomfort: Unlike dentures, it stays firmly in place
- Eat anything you want: No restrictions on crunchy or sticky foods
- Lasts for decades: With good care, it can stay strong for 20+ years
The whole process takes a few months, but the result is worth it. A fully functional tooth that lets you smile, chew, and speak with confidence again. If you’re missing a tooth and want a solution that feels like the real thing, ask Dr. Rafat if an implant is right for you.
Why Choose Dr. Rafat For A Dental Implant?
Dr. Roham Rafat of Valley Dental Health is one of the most highly trained periodontists in the area. Dr. Rafat offers complete implant dentistry services in our office. We extend a warm welcome to new patients from Cockeysville, Sparks, Timonium, Phoenix, Lutherville, Hunt Valley and nearby Baltimore neighborhoods.
While many dentists restore dental implants, Dr. Rafat offers complete treatment from the surgical placement of the implant through cosmetic restoration.
Single dental implants can replace one or two teeth. Usually, the implant is placed and restored with a porcelain crown or bridge. A dental implant can replace a tooth that is congenitally missing or a tooth that has been lost due to accidents, tooth decay, gum disease, or other reasons.
Dental implants are the most natural-looking and sustainable option for replacing a single tooth. A dental implant will allow patients to maintain a normal oral hygiene routine and eat and speak with confidence. An implant also provides long-term support of the jaw bone to deter deterioration and recession of the facial structure.
To learn more about the implant services we provide, see: