With age comes wisdom, but in your mouth, age comes with wisdom teeth. Jacob Ming, DDS, located in Hayward, California, has experience keeping wisdom teeth clean. At his practice, Heritage Dental, Dr. Ming understands how important a healthy mouth is to your health. For more information about keeping your wisdom teeth healthy or removing your wisdom teeth, call Dr. Ming to schedule an appointment or book your appointment online today.
Wisdom teeth are the common term for the third and final set of molars in your mouth. Wisdom teeth come in as early as age 14 but as late age 30. Because they’re the last set of molars in your mouth, wisdom teeth don’t always have enough room in the mouth. Dr. Ming at Heritage Dental examines your mouth and helps you decide if your wisdom teeth may become a problem for you.
Wisdom teeth are at the very back of your mouth. Regular brushing and flossing help in keeping them clean, but may not be enough. Bacteria and food debris easily find their way into the gum around the tooth. Dr. Ming cleans and removes debris you may miss while brushing or flossing.
If your wisdom tooth can’t fully come in, the gum is especially at-risk of gum disease leading to tooth decay.
In some cases, your wisdom teeth may need to be removed for better overall mouth health. Dr. Ming takes X-rays and examines your mouth for any decay, and also explains different cleaning techniques for proper tooth health. If Dr. Ming thinks removing your wisdom tooth or teeth is more beneficial to your health, he recommends wisdom tooth extraction.
During the procedure, Dr. Ming gives you a local anesthetic or general anesthesia for pain control. He makes a cut in your gum and reveals the root of your tooth. He may remove the tooth whole or cut the tooth into pieces for easier removal.
Once he extracts the tooth, Dr. Ming cleans the area and stitches the incision in your gum closed. He places gauze on your gum to control bleeding. When Dr. Ming finishes, he explains how to care for your mouth during your recovery.
Wisdom tooth recovery is usually less than a week without complications. You may notice swelling, bruising, or bleeding in the first 24 hours after extraction. Dr. Ming recommends over-the-counter pain relievers for pain management.
In addition to eating soft foods and refraining from using a straw while drinking, he suggests not brushing your teeth for the first 24 hours or not smoking for the first 72 hours. Recovery times vary and Dr. Ming gives you more information about what symptoms to watch for during your recovery.
Call Heritage Dental for available appointments or book online for your consultation with Dr. Ming.
