The Purpose Behind Wisdom Teeth

Most people have at least heard of the extra teeth that erupt in our late teens or early twenties. These are called “wisdom teeth.” When you get your wisdom teeth, you know that they can be painful as they come in, and they can cause a number of problems in your mouth such as overcrowding. Do you know why we get wisdom teeth? Here is some information about wisdom teeth that you might not be aware of:

At a basic level, wisdom teeth are vestigial organs. These are parts of the body, like the appendix that do not serve a purpose in our lives today. However, primitive ancestors used these organs for one reason or another. When it comes to our wisdom teeth, our ancestors ate food that was much tougher than the food we eat today. Since this was the case, they needed an extra set of teeth to handle the work. Since we cook our food completely and do not eat things like raw grains and seeds, our teeth do not wear as quickly as our ancestor’s teeth did. So, we do not need our wisdom teeth.

Since we do not need these teeth, and since they can be problematic, it is best to have them removed when they begin to grow in. In fact, the American Dental Association estimates that up to 85 percent of people need to have their wisdom teeth removed. To find out more about your own wisdom teeth, make sure to make an appointment with our dentist for X-rays and a consultation.