Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
- asks Rachele Cooper, a scienceline staff member
Rachele Cooper • February 5, 2007
![A troublesome tooth. [CREDIT: DR.BUNN.COM]](https://scienceline.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/wisdom_g.jpg)
A troublesome tooth. [CREDIT: DR.BUNN.COM]
Not just a year ago my wisdom was tucked tightly away in my mouth, just below the surface of my gums, bothering no one. And then, last fall, it decided to emerge in the shape of three large, impacted teeth that had to come out. As I lay under the dental surgeon’s tools over the holidays, slowly coming out of my anesthesia, I wondered to myself: where did these teeth come from?
Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth, or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestor’s early diet of coarse, rough food – like leaves, roots, nuts and meats – which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of the teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent. As a result, evolutionary biologists now classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, or body parts that have become functionless due to evolution.
Why do wisdom teeth wait to erupt long after the tooth fairy has stopped leaving change under your pillow? Tooth development, from baby primary teeth to permanent teeth, takes place in an organized fashion, over a course of years, with the first molar erupting around the age of six and the second molar erupting around the age of 12. Wisdom teeth, which begin forming around your tenth birthday, are the last set of molars on the tooth-development timeline, so they usually don’t erupt until you are between the ages of 17 and 25. Because this is the age that people are said to become wiser, the set of third molars has been nicknamed “wisdom teeth.”
Some people never get wisdom teeth, but for those who do, the number may be anywhere from one to four – and, on very rare occasions, more than four, according to a study published in the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association. Scientific literature has yet to be able to explain why the number of teeth per individual varies, but for those who do get these extraneous, or supernumerary, teeth, it can lead to all sorts of problems.
Because human jaws have become smaller throughout evolutionary history, when wisdom teeth form they often become impacted, or blocked, by the other teeth around them. Also, if the tooth partially erupts, food can get trapped in the gum tissue surrounding it, which can lead to bacteria growth and, possibly, a serious infection.
Wisdom teeth that do not erupt but remain tucked away can also lead to oral problems, such as crowding or displacement of permanent teeth. On very rare occasions, a cyst (fluid filled sac) can form in the soft tissue surrounding the impacted wisdom tooth. These cysts can lead to bone destruction, jaw expansion, or damage to the surrounding teeth. Even more uncommonly, tumors can develop in the cysts, which can lead to the jaw spontaneously breaking if the tumor or cyst grows too much.
There are patients that develop wisdom teeth that function just as well as every other tooth in the mouth, and as a result they do not need to go under the knife. But no one can predict when third molar complications will occur, and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons estimates that about 85 percent of wisdom teeth will eventually need to be removed.
If you do have wisdom teeth that you are thinking of having taken out, the association strongly recommends that patients remove wisdom teeth when they are young adults, in order to “prevent future problems and to ensure optimal healing.” People who have oral surgery after the age of 35 have higher risks for complications, harder surgeries, and longer healing times than those who get them removed in their late teens or early 20’s. The best time to get those suckers out is when the roots are about two-thirds formed, which is generally between the ages of 15 to 18. Though I was…well, a lady never tells her age, but suffice it to say that for me, a weeks long lack of locution and a diet of soup and applesauce was worth no longer having pain in my jaw and food in my teeth.
207 Comments
Very interesting! you learn something new everyday! hahah. i enjoyed this one!
Very informative article. I will pass this along to two of my three children who will have a better understanding of the “Why” of Wisdom Teeth Extractions.
Keep up the good work!
Rosemary Brinig
I think that if wisdom teeth were a disadvantage, they would be missing in more of us. Of all the people I know, there are only two (mother-daughter) missing them completely.
In my personal opinion, the wisdom teeth are “spare parts”, growing at the right time to take the place of whatever teeth one has lost. Sort of like the baby teeth.
I’m basing this on my personal experience. I have lost one molar when I was 16, and because I did not replace it for some years, the teeth surrounding the empty space have moved. The empty space got smaller, to the size of a premolar (makes teeth cleaning interesting, they always loose their count, and end up with too many premolars, and then they check my chart).
The wisdom tooth on that side is the only one that I have that is fully erupted, all the rest are half-grown.
You see, I’m an engineer, I need to see how stuff works in a very newtonian way…
That being said, I tried to sell my theory to my dentist, who told me that the wisdom teeth are much weaker than the other teeth, so they don’t make very good spare parts… More like the mini spare tire I have in my trunk…
Also, I looked at my XRays, and the teeth that have moved, have not “slided” gracefully, their apex (the tip of the roots) seems to have not moved, only the rest was tilted. Which does not make for good mechanics…
In conclusion, I think it is best to have the wisdom teeth removed as a child (since they are smaller, it is easier to extract them, and the risk of damage to the mandibular canal is much reduced).
Well im a dental assistant so yes wisdom teeth are funtionless teeth but we all get em if they deside to erupt sometimes it can effect the other teeth and push forwad then u need to take emm out but if they dnt borther you then the dentist leaves emm there… And they are the biggest tooth in the mouth besides the canine havin the longest root
Interesting! I had only two so called wisdom teeth. Both in my lower jaw, and by the time I was 19 and had them removed, seriously impacted. Both of them were growing forward in my jaw and I got terrible headaches. The removal was traumatic and the recovery took a week but I have never regretted having them removed. One incidental effect of the removal was that over time my teeth have migrated some with the extra space in my jaw. It is not aesthetically pleasing but I have room to floss all of my teeth that did not exist before the removal. I only know of one person of my acquaintance whse wisdom teeth grew in naturally.
As a result of my wisdom teeth being extracted in my early teens, I actually stopped delevoping mentally and have yet to prove I have anything intelligent or wise to say on the matter of wisdom or teeth. Great article….
I have had all 4 wisdom teeth pop up during the past few years. I am currently in pain over the fourth one. Although all of them hurt as bad as this, i have never seen the need to extract them, but after reading this article and enduring this pain again, i am considering having them all extracted. Thanks for sharing this great article.
I was just wondering this actually, as my dentist on Monday urged me to just get ’em yanked (though they all came in without issue). The scary “after the age of 35” advice above is unpleasant, but I suppose somewhat obvious and a good reason to get it over with. Can I eat nothing but ice cream the whole week of recovery?
I really have no memory of my wisdom teeth erupting. I do remember being a freshman in college and having a dental exam at a graduate dental school. The dentist was very interested in my mouth and went away to get two or three students to gather around before she announced while pointing a flash light into my mouth that I had two erupted wisdom teeth, one top right , the other bottom left. “You have no pain?” No I have no problems with my teeth. I am 43 now and I wouldn’t have them out for anything. They are very useful teeth. Of course if you talk to a dentist, they would take them out and you would be in terrible pain. Keep ’em its a no brainer.
I had a wisdom tooth extraction today, my third and last one. Hurrah!!! All of them were badly decayed and quite painful, and one in particular that was impacted required a mini-surgery. I’m delighted to no longer have my wisdom teeth around and don’t regret the extractions for a second. This is something my doctor didn’t tell me but I took 5 drops of Arnica 30c before my extraction and five drops afterwards, and I feel just great! Arnica is taking care of not just the post-procedural pain and inflammation but also healed my post-root canal treatment pain a few days ago, which I consider miraculous considering the agony I was in before I got it done.
My advice would definitely be to get rid of your wisdom teeth asap before they start causing you trouble, like mine did. They really don’t serve any useful purpose in today’s day and age.
Alright, so nine days have past since the agonizing event of my “wisdom” teeth extraction. As of now, all I have to say is…. NOTHING….. Although typing WILL do. The art of speech, which I thought i had mastered, has been yanked and tossed aside like the devil teeth i once had. Before I explain I must inform all, that along with my extraction I also had a tooth exposed, second molar is what I like to call him… or her for those who stand strong for gender equality. Anyhow, the surgery itself had it’s ups and downs. I waited long before i was approached by the anesthesiologist (spelled that on with no help)who was actually a close friend of the family (another brow sweat wiper); This long wait caused much anxiety (if im going to boast about my accomplishments i must be honest and say that i did in-fact use the help of google for the spelling of that one). Once I layed down on the bed of holiday squashers and stared up at the bright lights I came face to face for my love of oxygen throught a tube. I was scared. Of what, I am not sure, but i was scared. I then remembered the euphoric effect oxygen has on a person and begun to inhale deeply through my nose. Then came the sweet, sweet drugs that MY new friend had administered me. Off to the land of twilight for me. Upon awakening, all i remembered was the annoyed dental assistant pushing my hand away and scratching my nose for me. A funny thought to make my day. I was feeling fine untill the freezing wore off. Then came the pain, then came the tylonol 3, which I found a little strong for my likes. I rarely felt pain, but when I did, I paid for any pleasure. Healing took about a week. The pain is relevent today. There are 3 different pains I have encountered throughout these past nine days. First, the pain open wounds cause; Second, the pain swore jaw muscles cause, and third, the pain of headaches, and the uncomfortability of feeling nauseous and faint. Upon speaking to my cousin, (a dental assistant) and self discovery, i learned of the nerves that are in the back of my mouth that can cause me to feel faint (a horrible experience). I now am suffering the swore jaw, (a really swore jaw, i have a small mouth i cannot, and choose not to imagine how they got into the back of my mouth, definatly not with ease, for me at least, this explains my lack of speech) as well as the joy of feeling faint as i squeese the salt water contents of a seringe into the well that leads to my exposed tooth. Through all of this, i have come to the conclusion that although it sucked, it probably would have sucked a lot more leaving the devil teeth in. Lookin at my recent x-ray I have noticed that I was in for a hellish impaction. I was onto solids the day after but i preferred soups and ice creams. My advise to anyone who is going under the lights and blade is to inhale deeply through your nose after the give you the oxygen, and if your squeemish, dont ask your cousin who is a dental assistant to give you the scaring mental images of the surgery.
Oh it was only supposed to be a comment… I cant speak, im lonely. Artcle explains the reasoning behind the experience, definatly tackling the matter at hand. GET EM’ OUT..
Oh yeah, im sixteen so sweet deals getting them out now, and for the record, i had tylonol half way through typing this. the swore jaw sucks
I’m now 21 and I only have two wisdom teeth and they are both on my upper jaw. I don’t have any on the bottom jaw.
They are not bothering me at all and the good news is that the dentist told me that they are came out straight…Hooray
Bad news is that I ended up wearing braces…ouch
The other bad news is that I had to have four of my premolars remove before having braces. The ones behind the canines and now to make matters worse I need to having fillings done on the front incisor.
First of all, jason marx, you are absolutely hilarious.
Secondly, my 15 year old daughter is having her 4 wisdom teeth yanked this Friday. I am really nervous. I don’t handle seeing her in pain well. Poor kid. It seems like a rite of passage. I had all four of mine taken when I was 19. It was awful, but I survived. She will too. I just feel so bad for her.
Very informative indeed!
I’ll be going for a wisdom tooth extraction this evening.Hope all goes well.
I’m so glad that I don’t have any issue with wisdom tooth! I’m just over 30 this year and none has erupted. My dentist asked me to do an x-ray to locate them but I’ll rather lie low. Nevertheless, this article is very informative. Thank you!
Regarding the preventive removal of wisdom teeth:
My wisdom teeth all came in straight between the ages of 17 and 21, although the top ones didn’t come in as far down as the teeth next to them. I actually use these teeth sometimes, and I like having them. Also, before I had them, occasionally a sharp piece of food, such as a potato chip, would cut into the gum behind my second molars, so the wisdom teeth protect the gums back there a little bit.
I don’t have 32 teeth, though, because I did have to have the teeth right behind my canines removed for spacing for braces when I was 16. That bothered me because they were perfectly healthy. I asked the dentist to send them to a dental school instead of just throwing them out, and he said he would.
I’ve never been a believer in having unnecessary surgery, or having something healthy removed because “it might cause problems one day.” My childhood dentist was ahead of his time in some ways, and he agreed. But he said it was very important that I keep them clean and floss both the front and back of each one. He thought they would probably last my lifetime if I would do that.
I’ve written on my registration form at every dentist I’ve ever gone to that “I do not want my wisdom teeth removed.” Dentists always ask me about this comment. A few dentists tried in the past to get me to have them removed, which made me wonder if maybe they were, as one poster wrote, just trying to make some more money.
They did a big study in Britain a few years ago, and my beliefs were borne out – the study recommended against preventive removal of healthy wisdom teeth if they are not crowding other teeth. I think I read recently that the practice is much less common in Britain, and is now becoming less common in the U.S.
I’m now nearly 40 years old and the teeth are fine. In the past ten years when dentists have seen my comment on a form, they always have said something like, “Oh yeah, your wisdom teeth are fine. You don’t need to have them out. Who told you that you did?”
However, it is true, as another poster’s dentist said, that wisdom teeth are weaker than other teeth and often don’t grow as well or as strongly. My childhood dentist explained this to me. He said they are more rudimentary. The enamel is often incompletely formed as well. I had to have tiny fillings put on the inside edges of each one where the enamel didn’t quite come together.
Make your own decision based all the information available to you and your own feelings about the issue. I’m not afraid of surgery, but everyone should remember that any surgery carries risks. Since I’ve had these teeth for twenty years now, they are like my friends, and I would miss them. I’ll take my chances – I’ve been happy with the way things are for twenty years!
Do you think it would be ok for me to have local anesthetic for removal of one wisdom tooth instead of being put to sleep. The thought of being asleep and how I may act on the drugs makes me nervous. Also does anyone know how much thismay cost without insurance.
Thank you
Alyssa, I had mine out with local anesthetic only, and it was not an experience I would recommend. The nerves are so deep that it was still painful, and more novicaine = more swelling. It wasn’t very fun to witness the process.
i think its best to remove a one time fixed 2nd molar with some years to give space to birth of a new one – the wisdom tooth. than with a bracet we can put all alligned leaving no spaces between…
For the love of god do not get them pulled if they dont hurt I just had mine pulled 7/5/07 because my bottom teeth were hurting me but ididnt need my top ones done, only now realizing that after ive gone through all this pain, and I still cant eat 2 days later, and im still bleeding!! The Dr. Didnt even tell me I could save my top ones if they didnt hurt, so just like most dentist I think he wanted to cash in more from my insurance co. When you go home and the novacaine wares off you will be in the most pain you’ve ever been in, it is hell!! I dont know when I will be able to eat!!
oh and make sure your dentist will give you percocet or stronger, and if not tell he/she theyre a crazy lunatic and run as fast as you can out of that dentistry for the love of God!!!
Dear Alyssa (love the name): Local anestetic is fine, the operation wasnt painless but nothing too bad, the novacaine shots suck. Also, I had pain from having to open my mouth for so long my jaws couldnt stand it, I had to take breaks to rest, because he took a while geting them all out, I do have bad sores on the sides of my lips either from opening my mouth to hard or from the dentist/and or assistant. I heard that it costs $300 withou insurance fro a friend and I know he at least had 2 pulled but cant remember if he had all 4. Hope that helps!
My dentist had to do a pan x-ray of my head (standing still for about 5 minutes while some machine spun around me) and found that I don’t have any wisdom teeth at all, I thought that was awesome.
ummmmmmmmmmm!!
my tooth really hurts,like a b***h.
but i leatn so much just reading this article.
so yeah…
thank scienceline.!!:))
This was very informative. I have all four of my Wisdom Teeth and i am only 15. My denist says he wants to wait until i am 18 to take them out, which i really dont understand why he won’t take them out now.
But anyways thanks for the info.
Oddly enough, I have 4 supernumerary teeth (though not yet erupted)… translation: 8 wisdom teeth. Two up top, two on the bottom. And they haven’t given me any problems at all. *knock on wood* I imagine I would have seen their worst by now (30 y/o), and I haven’t, so I’m hoping I’ll live with them with no problem.
I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday.. it hurt alot but the worse part is that theres food stuck under the stitches and it won’t come out! :(
IT’S SO OBVIOUS. IF PAIN OR INFECTION OR INJURING OTHER TEETH = OUT THEY GO. IF NOT, THEY ARE VERY USEFUL SO KEEP THEM. I KEPT MINE AND I AM 60 YEARS OLD. [BEWARE-ALMOST EVERY DENTIST ADVISES EXTRACTION SINCE “EVERYONE KNOWS” THEY SHOULD COME OUT]. BUT THEY SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT TONSILS NOT LONG AGO AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY WRONG. [THE MILLIONS $$$ THEY MAKE ON EXTRACTION MIGHT CLOUD THEIR JUDGMENT ALSO]
i dont have any wisdom teeth they took an xray and they arent under my gums or anything.. i guess im lucky?
I had all four of my wisdom teeth CUT out before they could erupt. I was only 15, and only had local anethestic (I was fully awake and aware of what was going on). This procedure took place on a Friday afternoon and I was back to school the following Monday. Did it hurt? Yeah. Did I live? Of course! Would I do it again? After hearing about the pain that people suffer through and then end up getting them pulled anyway, I’d have to say that I certainly would.
I got all four wisdoms when I was 19 and never had any problems with them until I was 34 and got a cavity in one of them. The dentist offered me the option of a filling or removal of the tooth. Since I heard these are “extra” teeth, I opted for complete removal. Removal was very difficult, they had to break the tooth in half to remove. But to this day, many years later, the other 3 wisdoms are still doing fine.
I too believe that they are there because many years ago…well not so many, before we had dentist and understood about good dental care…that it was common for folks to loose a few teeth…even in their teens and later childhood, I think Wisodoms are for spare parts. I had to have a tooth pulled when I was 13 and I never had to have it replaced, because soon afterwards, my Wisdom tooth on that side popped in beautifully and the space filled in. I did have to have the other three Wisdoms removed, they came in sideways. I suggest that if you aren’t missing any teeth by the time you are 20…get those suckers out….they will kill you otherwise.
The article is spot on except for a few miss interpretations, the reason we have or at least some of us have wisdom teeth. It is due to the fact that once upon a time humanity consumed bio mass (energy from plants), our bone structure was quite different then. We also have the infamous appendix, some experts believe that the appendix was used for digesting leaves as primates. Over time, we have eaten less vegetables and have evolved, over millions of years, for this organ to be smaller to make room for our stomach. Just like appendix, wisdom teeth evolved from early primates when our skulls were more lifted, you are dead wrong about one thing even though its hard to believe. Wisdom teeth did not develop because mankind used to grind food, they developed because we chewed our food. It gave us the upper hand being primates, this meant we could chew things better that would normally take longer to digest. But over the years, mankind’s diet has changed so drastically. We eat things like junk food, and or buy products based on nutrition values, or simply don’t care to consume the proper foods our bodies require. All this comes down to risk factors, or problems you never knew you had. I’m getting 4 wisdom teeth removed in a couple of days, I can say with certainty now that it was due to eating habits and that I use to consume allot of pop as a teen. Aside from genetics, those factors are also something that need to be considered. Just explaining my end of the response, I think we sub consciously do things we never admit to doing.
Consider that before sticking it to history :P
Thanks for the great article. I thought I’d just put my two cents in… last wednesday (29/8) I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out. I’m 22 and they were beginning to erupt. I have a small jaw and not only did I have swollen lumps under my jawbone for most of this year (I had to wait about 6 months to get the op) but they would have shifted my other teeth and I didn’t want a few years of orthodontic work to go down the drain. So I went for it and had the surgery – almost 9 days later I haven’t ingested anything but water, milk, jelly and almost liquidised vegetables (broccoli, peas, soft stuff). I am still sitting here with an icepack around my face and a bleeding socket. I have one socket that just wont heal and has already been stiched up twice. I’m beginning to think I will never recover and have to say this is one of the worst experiences of my life!! I’m seeing the surgeon again tonight so here’s hoping he can cork up the socket or stop the bleeding somehow!!! I am going insane :(
Hello Sarah, I’m hours away from my surgery. From what I understand every case is different, I too have a small jaw. However my case is a little different, I don’t have impacted teeth but rather the two upper teeth are literally broken. I have a very low risk factor, but enough about my story. From the sound of yours, it seems to me like your surgeon needs to learn stitching.
Have you considered consulting another surgeon?? Also take in allot of multi-vitamins, supplements and meat. It helps with the healing process, and please stay off hot drinks. They cause the sockets to swell more and inherently bleed!!
Hope that helps :)
30/female/european caucasian/no WISDOM teeth
IS THIS NORMAL?? Everyone else in my family had them…thank god..that means no pain or chipmunk cheeks for me, right?..lol
My wisdom teeth we abnormally large. The pain on my right side was so awful. When I met with the surgeon, I figured out that my “wisdom tooth” was grinding my cheek. The only positive thing I can say about wisdom teeth is the feeling of being less carnivorous. Grrr. (Boooooo)
I am 41. I have had all 4 wisdom teeth as long as I remember and never had a problem. Just recently I had to have one of them and the tooth next to taken out as they were deciding to do a mating dance together. One little bit of advice…. DRUGS ! as many and as deeply uncoscoius as you can get !!!! OMG I have never experienced such pain ! I had it done in the chair with just a local anesthetic. BAD MISTAKE !!!! The anesthetic didn’t work and I experienced a world of pain I never knew existed for the next 40 minutes. GET KNOCKED OUT !!! ANY WAY YOU CAN !!!
Over a week later and I’m still in pain.
I’ll use a hammer on my own head to knock myself out before they get to the other three teeth !
On the happy side, I think the dentist and her assistant are now deaf.
The teeth near my back molars and sometimes my back molars themselves are hurting. I have two wisdom teeth poking halfway through on the bottom of my mouth and can’t remember If I do or not on the top. Does anyone think that the random pain of my molars means I need to have the wisdom teeth removed?
My son had his wisdom teeth out 2 years ago. The x-ray revealed he had SIX! Four on top, two on bottom. All impacted I guess he was one of the rare (and unlucky) ones! The surgery went well and he recovered in about a week.
I am 29 with 3 wisdom teeth.One of which is now half gone. I never thought that my wisdom teeth was causing my jaw pain. I also am experecing some gum pain opposite of the half gone wisdom tooth. I have an appointmen on Mon. and am very nervous of what will happen. I have never experenced a dentist before.(Still managed a healty mouth, untill now) After reading everyones comments I’m really worried about the pain. Any thing I can do besides drugs?
I liked this one! i thought it was very interesting… i never got my wisdom teeth in, but i remember when you got yours out… ouch! no thanks!!!
Hi, Thanks for this article. I am 37 years old and had my wisdom teeth taken out just yesterday. The pain I am enduring now is only slightly more than the pain I have had for the last 20 years of having my wisdom teeth. None of them were impacted but my gums would swell and subside over and over causing pain. I brush my teeth as well as anyone I think, however my wisdom teeth were full of decay. You need a flip top head to clean them properly. I am looking forward to having fresh breath again. Even if your wisdom teeth have came in correctly I would recomend a serios consideration of removing them anyway because of the problems of keeping them clean and free of decay…..thanks
I am having my second wisdom tooth on the bottom removed Monday. I had the other removed just over a month ago.
I am more scared about this one because it is totally impacted and slanted.
I had the first one just under local and this one will be the same.
I guess I am lucky to only have two so after this I am done.
I am having 4 teeth (or whats left of them) cut out on Friday. One is a wisdom tooth. They are all broken off to the gums and rotten. I’m scared. I’m only having a local anesthic because of the cost. I have no insurance or I would have them put me totally out. I’m so nervous about this, I’m literally sick to my stomach. I’ve even considered backing out and just living with it. Has anyone else had any “rotten broken off to the gums” teeth cut out with ONLY a local anesthic? I need to hear that it will be ok. I’m mostly concerned about holding my mouth open for so long and not being about to swallow. I know I sound like a big baby…I just have a fear of dentists. I’ve had 3 children and would rather go through that again than what I’m going to have done on Friday :) lol.
Forgive my misspelling of the word “anesthetic” in the above post…lol :)
I am 23 and I just got my 4th wisdom tooth pop out yesterday… I dint have any problems with my previous 3. I think that GOD made them for a reason, and if they don’t need to be taken out, then just leave them and keep them clean.