Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

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Have you ever wondered why we have wisdom teeth when most people get them removed? We know we have!

Wisdom teeth are the extra molars that grow in during your teen and adult years. They are known to be the cause of thousands of dental surgeries every year. So why do we have them?

The Purpose of Wisdom Teeth

Processed foods are more of a recent option in the grocery store. Our ancestors had to hunt and gather their food, making their diet to be made up of harder and more dense food than we are used to today.

Your jaw is similar to every other muscle in the body, growing the more you use it. When you eat harder and more dense food, like our ancestors, your jaw is going to be larger than what we perceive as normal. This created space for the wisdom teeth to grow in and be put to use on the harder food.

Now that we aren’t using or jaw to that measure, we no longer have the room (or need) for wisdom teeth in our mouth.

Wisdom Tooth Pain

Wisdom tooth pain is felt in the back of your mouth behind your last tooth. Wisdom teeth commonly shift your existing teeth, making their own room to grow in. Sometimes they grow in sideways and very rarely do wisdom teeth grow in straight. If you’re experiencing wisdom tooth pain be sure to visit your dentist. At Sage Dental Care we can take X-rays of your mouth to determine the best option for your wisdom teeth!