And what exactly does ‘impacted’ mean?
Any tooth has the potential to become impacted—that is, emerge in some oddball direction that crowds other teeth. But the most famous culprits are third molars, the last-to-emerge wisdom teeth.
Not many mouths can accommodate wisdom teeth. They often wind up pressing against their neighbors, ultimately pressuring the rest of the teeth to disrupt their alignment.
That’s not a wise thing to let happen.
Wisdom teeth get our attention when they cause pain and swelling. Routine X-rays, beginning around age 12, alert us to problem potential before wisdom teeth start getting disruptive. X-rays can let us know whether those mighty molars must go.
Dr. Moran was born and raised in San Jose, California where she lived with her mom, dad, and three younger sisters. After graduating from Santa Teresa High School she attended San Diego State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. After completing her studies at San Diego State, she returned to the Bay Area to attend the prestigious University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. In her spare time, Dr. Moran enjoys being outdoors: gardening, wakeboarding, camping, being at the beach, and running are just a few of Dr. Moran’s favorite outdoor activities. In addition, Dr. Moran loves spending time with her family which includes her dog and turtle. Dr. Moran is proud to be a member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, Monterey Bay Dental Society, and the Santa Clara County Dental Society.
