Dental Implants

A dental implant is the closest thing to growing a new tooth. It looks right, feels right, and most patients forget it is not theirs within a few months. If you have been living with a missing tooth — or putting up with a bridge or denture that has never quite felt natural — an implant is worth knowing about.

Here is what an implant actually is, in plain language. A small titanium post is placed where the root of your missing tooth used to be. Over the next few months, the post bonds with your jawbone, becoming a permanent foundation that is just as solid as a natural root. Once that bond is set, a custom crown is attached on top — shaped, sized, and shaded to match the teeth around it. From that point on, you brush it, floss it, eat with it, and live with it like any other tooth.

What makes an implant different from a bridge is that it stands on its own. The teeth on either side never have to be touched. And because the implant takes the place of a real root, it stimulates your jawbone the same way a natural tooth would, which keeps your jaw and the shape of your face from slowly changing the way it does when a tooth is missing for years.

Dr. Maharaj is a Fellow of the International Dental Implant Association, which means you have someone with advanced training in implant dentistry right here in Bedford. You do not need to drive to Roanoke or Lynchburg to get expert implant care. The whole process — from the first conversation to the final crown — happens at your dental home on East Main Street.

You will start with an honest evaluation. Not everyone is a candidate, and you deserve to know that from the beginning. Dr. Maharaj will look at your jawbone, your gums, and your overall health, and tell you whether an implant makes sense for you. If it does, you will hear what to expect at every step. If something else is a better fit, you will hear that too.