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
I had one on my lower jaw extracted a month ago (one incompetent orthon. opened up my gums and after 40 minutes of pulling and sawing, he concluded he couldn’t remove it all, stitched my gums back up and told me to go to a “professional”..lol horrible. I had to have surgery twice on my right lower). I just had 3 others removed 2 days ago (I’m 22 nearing 23). All 4 were done under local anesthesia so I was fully conscious, having to hear the saw chiseling away and bones crunching and all.
Holy heck, they were the worst experiences of my life. xD I guess I have a relatively small lower jaw. My bottom wisdom teeth were so badly impacted (completely horizontal)that my orthodontist had to saw the roots in order to extract them. The top two weren’t badly impacted YET but decided to take them out anyways because they were starting to grow withim my gums at an angle and I’m still in my early 20’s. Having your wisdom teeth extracted is DEFINITELY not fun and the recovery, even worse. My cheek is so swollen it looks like I stuffed a balloon inside. I’m just praying for a good recovery. I’m sleepy all the time at the moment. Maybe it’s from the blood loss. I wish luck to anyone who needs to have their wisdom teeth removed, and if I have learned anything from all this, HAVE THEM REMOVED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE (if they’re going to be impacted). I can’t imagine the utter hell I would have had to gone through if I had mine extracted in my 40’s after they’ve competely stuck to my bone. xD
My 16-year-old son is due for a consultation on Monday 14 April and extraction of all four on Friday 18 April. We are debating whether or not to go through with the procedure. The regular dentist’s X-rays revealed two are completely in, one about halfway, and the fourth not “erupted” yet. These X-rays showed the teeth so far coming in perfectly straight and healthy.
I am from the school of “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken,” and so is my son. We will go through with the consultation and the “Panarex” X-rays. If these show no problems, based on the varying degrees of pain and recovery times noted above, I am thinking we should WAIT and either not have it done at all, or have them done while school is out and my son does not have to deal with this during the academic year.
For the record, I myself had all four wisdom teeth come in straight and even, never felt them or had any problems. When I was in my thirties and had full dental coverage from a job, a dentist advised me to take advantage of the insurance coverage and get them out — that years down the line, the presence of the wisdom teeth would make it much harder to keep my back molars clean and free of decay.
So I had all four extracted. I was very lucky — the bleeding and discomfort only lasted the day of the extraction, and by the next day, I was fine. Because they were straight with no impaction or complications, I had them removed only with Novocaine and as much NITROUS OXIDE as I could inhale. I also used my Walkman with headphones to block out any noise.
I am glad I had it done and got it over with, since I had an easy recovery, it was paid for and I felt fine. The Novocaine completely numbed me, and the NITROUS OXIDE made me floating high as a kite — with the music filling my ears, I was so high I didn’t give a damn what they did to me! I could actually feel the teeth coming out, but because they were straight, those puppies slid right out, no problem.
But seriously — apparently this is the new protocol, to have them out as young as possible. However, when I was a kid, everybody was supposed to have their tonsils out too. I never did — and for the rest of my life, every time I have gotten an upper respiratory infection, it has never gone farther than my throat. I have never had bronchitis or pneumonia. A doctor actually told me that the tonsils serve a purpose, they “catch” the infection before it goes down to the chest.
I was also ordered by FOUR different OB /GYNs to start Hormone Replacement Therapy when I reached “a certain age” — IN SPITE of my family history of breast cancer! I argued with all the doctors and REFUSED — and then the studies came out proving HRT causes breast cancer!
So I am very undecided about whether or not my son should have his wisdom teeth out at this time. Just because it is the “new protocol” doesn’t mean it’s right….
For the above poster who inquired about cost, here is what I was quoted as the “sticker price” on this, for people who either have no dental insurance or are “out-of-network”:
Consultation $100
Panarex X-ray $90
EACH extraction $350 X 4 = $1400
ANESTHESIA — I was told they now use “intravenous conscious sedation,” (exactly what they give people who have colonoscopies) — you don’t remember anything of the procedure. The cost I was quoted for this anesthesia:
(approx.) $200 for the first 30 minutes
PLUS approx. $100 for each add’l 30 minutes.
So without insurance or “out-of-network” having all four wisdom teeth extracted, you are looking at about $2,000 in expenditure.
Hope this helps. Do you think my son should have it done now just because we have the insurance coverage?
All the text on the internet are so strange : “It’s better to removed them when you are 20 to 24” . But I’m 33 and they just started to grow. How could I had them removed before ? And what it means when they start to grow only at 33 ?
hey ellen-wondering if your son went through with the extractions and hope he is doing well by now if he did. I am eally interested in your reply-my son has 4 impacted wisdom teeth, they are not giving him any trouble at all, and he is scheduled to have them out o n May 28th, after he graduates from high school and has some time to recover. I would really appreciate your insight, since after doing some research I am not so sure that he should be going through with this!
hello everyone…
I’m 22 and i am planning on removing four of my wisdom teeth…two of my top ones have grown in perfectly and straight…however my two bottom are SEVERLY impacted…and have grown horizontal…onto my bone and is touching a nerve… i was just wondering if anyone can share their experiences with horizontal impacted wisdom teeth…. and if it is safe to take out all four at one time…. how bad will it be?!?! and also, im doing it aby anesthesia …. a needle on my arm ..and i will be knocked out for them..but ive only mostly read about people who have taken one at a time …when it comes to impacted horizontal wisdom teeth..please share any experiences or insights! i greatly appreciate it!!
I just had 3 out of my 4 wisdom teeth out yesterday, the 2 bottom were angled towards my back molars and had to be drilled into pieces and taken out and one of my top that was close to my gum line. it hasnt even been 24 hours yet since removal and i have some swelling of the jaw but it feels great not to have all the pressure on my jaw all the time. I never realized it was that bad until I had them removed. The one we decided to leave in was one of the top ones that wasnt very close to my gumline and the oral surgeon said it wasnt likely to give me any problems but that I should have it checked every couple years.
Tracey, everyone I know that decides to get them out one at a time regrets it because if you get them all out at once your recovery time is usually only 48 hours-72 hours and who wants to waste that much time each time getting a tooth removed ?
i have all my wisdom teeth and have never had any problems with them. (thank you God.)
hopefully my daughter will have the same experience.
I had to get three of my wisdom teeth out- the bottom two were completely impacted, and the one on the top right was coming in a bit crooked and crowded. The fourth, however, was on the side I had a tooth pulled from when I was maybe 11 for orthodontic work.
That one grew in, perfectly aligned with the rest of my teeth in that quadrant. And it was sturdy enough and straight enough, xrays and all, that they decided to leave it in, or they jsut would have put another gap in my bite. It hasn’t budged in the 5 years since it erupted.
I think their original purpose as replacements is pretty clear even without that experience. Maybe I have a prehistoric jaw, since that’s the only circumstance in which we see them discussed as useful.
Im 16 and I had a cleaning yesterday and my dentist urged me to get my wisdom teeth yanked ASAP. I don’t see why, they don’t hurt at all. What should I do??
people, my doc wants me to make an appt IM SCARED! :{
I have a terrible mouth and horrific dentistry history (I told my dentist I’m going to donate my mouth to science when I die)!
In May I went through the traumatic experience of having an infected wisdom tooth removed; the infection migrated down to the root (and maybe nerve? not sure) and I was in serious pain for awhile. When they did the extraction, the novacaine wouldn’t work when just putting it into the gums (they explained that the infection + novacaine = a neutral pH; i guess the basic pH is what numbs us?? maybe) so they had to inject right into the root and nerve. :-O Not fun.
But anyway, the reason I’m writing here is to reassure some people who I read are struggling with the idea of having their wisdom teeth out.
This morning, I had FIVE more wisdom teeth removed (turns out I had two of those supernumerary). I was mortified. Turns out, as of now, the bleeding is the only problem. My jaw isn’t really sore neither are the surrounding teeth. I was pleasantly surprised. I guess having a very good oral surgeon pays off (after the first tooth came out, I told him I wanted to hug him!).
To all those considering the surgery and reading this, go get it done. A few days of discomfort are definitely worth the future benefits. I was only under local anesthesia and had no pain (just pressure, which you can’t avoid).
I hope reading this comment, from a 20 year old who was such a nervous wreck after a first terrible experience (by an iffy dentist), will help some of you make the decision. Good luck!
My wisdom teeth came through when I was 14 and I’ve got 4 (one of which is still not fully through). I’ve always had problems, mainly due to having a small mouth and too many teeth! When my milk teeth came in I had too many and consequently had to have 10 teeth removed (a mix of adult teeth and milk teeth) before the age of 11. I’m now 22 and my teeth have shifted to fill the gaps, I think mainly because my wisdom teeth are pushing the others out of the way!
Because of my small mouth (so small I have to use a toddler’s tooth brush as an adult one won’t fit between my teeth and cheek) my wisdom teeth rub the inside of cheeks which often results in them being cut open and lots of pain! However, I can deal with this pain as its “just one of those things”, and I would never consider having these teeth removed. Yes they are a pain in the backside, but x-rays when I was younger showed they were fine and I’d much rather keep them thanks! If it aint broke don’t fix it!
My wisdom teeth hurt sooo much!!! I hope they’re strait so I don’t have to get it removed!
An experienced dentist told me when I was in my early 20’s that he didn’t see any sign of wisdom teeth in my xrays and he was very doubtful I would get any. Well, he was wrong, I got all four of them when I was 29. Only the top right one started popping thru, but I felt pressure and some pain and a regular dentist was able to grab hold and extract it, what a relieve it was. I am now almost 42 and guess what? Yup, another wisdom tooth coming in on the top right again. I’m hoping I get one on the bottm right and it comes in straight as an arrow like it is supposed to be because there is room for it now because of a sicko dental hygentist up in Guilderland, NY named Laurie, and another sicko awful inexperienced dentist in Maryville, TN named a33hole. LOL But anyway, when they start to come in and hurt, it will help you to use peroxide and keep the area very clean, do not use alchol or mouthwash because it will aggravate it a great deal, also use a water pick. I would recommend for people to try and keep them, because I think we have them for a reason. Some dentists open the jaw and extract them from way under to young people and don’t even give them a chance to see how they are going to come in, in ten years. Having an impacted wisdom tooth is almost as bad as having contractions while having a baby. Impacted means infected and not enough room to get in? Take some antibiotic if you can and swish your mouth with a lot of peroxide. Don’t use mouthwash, pure agony, believe me I know!
And after watching this I had second thoughts…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY459kTn32c
Ughh
I’m 26 and I don’t have any wisdom teeth. :)
I guess i’m just lucky.
I am 25 and have all four of my wisdom teeth and my mouth had room, so they grew in perfectly. After reading this I have decided that I am incredibly lucky. Now can anyone tell me for sure that the enamel on wisdom teeth is weaker than regular teeth? I know this sounds weird but I am the only person out of every body I know that has all of their extrenous parts (wisdom teeth, apendix, etc) and would like to stay this way, so if there is no need for me to get them taken out I would rather not have to.
agreed with all that this article is informative! i had my first wisdom tooth emerged 2 years ago. second at 1 year ago. the third one is emerging. funny part was the first and second tooth only grew half way. anyone know the reasons why?
Hi i am a 20 yr old white male i think i have a wisdom tooth growing it feels like a small tooth but i think it was there before but i am nto sure and it hurts when i move my toungue around that area Is it a wisdom tooth and it is my first one should i have to remove it? even if it didn grow yet. my insurance ran out and will take a few weeks to get it back, but if i can have some more info it will be great thanks.
I’m 17 and I just had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed this morning, so I figured I’d share the experience. Talk about nervous! I had never had surgery of any kind, let alone have an IV, in my entire life. But when I went to the oral surgeon this morning and got everything hooked up (e.g blood pressure monitor, heart monitor, something on your finger, laughing gas, protective glasses) I was going to be put out via IV sedation. I have low blood sugar and not eating or drinking anything 6 hours prior the surgery was making me leery since if I don’t eat after I wake up it’s possible for me to faint, but they took this into consideration and even made notes to hook a thing of Glucose up and left it open to make sure my sugar didn’t drop during the procedure (going into a coma is possible if it dropped in this situation) but I woke up just fine an hour and a half later, albeit groggy. After waiting in recovery for a few minutes my mom and I went to pick up the prescribed medication. I remember what people said but I have no memory of what I did 15 to 20 minutes after waking during this time.
The only downfall of the day was when I typed out a text on my phone to tell my mom I tasted blood, I figured it was normal since the Postoperative Instructions they gave me said there would bleeding for the next day or two. The top two were able to be pulled out normally but the bottom ones, much similar to the picture at the top of the page here, grew in completely sideways and had to be cut out and have stitches. When I went to say something as we waited for the medication blood poured out of my mouth. It was like something out of a horror movie! My mom looked absolutely mortified because it wasn’t just a little blood. Imagine having your mouth full of water and just opening it, that’s how much came out. Thankfully there were a few paper towels I could use to get the blood up and all of them were soaked by the time I got home, even after changing the gauze and clamping down on it in the truck before we got there. It took about an hour to calm the bleeding down. As soon as we got home I took two of 2 of the medications (Ibuprofen and Cephalexin) and tried to force myself to drink something before I took them and fell asleep, my mom waking me up every 20 minutes to alternate ice packs on my jaws to reduce potential swelling.
Right now I feel fine. It’s doesn’t hurt anymore and the bleeding thankfully stopped altogether after five or six hours. Just being reduced to strawberry milk shakes, mashed potato’s and soup is about the only tormenting thing right now.
But reading this shed a little light as to why we have wisdom teeth in the first place. Since I’m the only one out of my of friends who has had all four grow in and removed they seem extremely hesitant about having the same done when they grow in, but I really suggest you do. Another problem my dentist explained to me when he recommended having them pulled as soon as possible was that, as stated, your wisdom teeth have not rooted themselves completely, once they have rooted too deep it becomes more painful and difficult to remove them. Even if they don’t hurt (mine didn’t either, only occasionally making me want to gnaw on something when they grew more) they can lead to several other possible complications not mentioned here that won’t pop up until around the age of 30 or 45. Even though it sets you back for a little while I’m glad I went in and got mine out now rather than later before all of these problems occur. Just make sure you have some help the first few hours.
As for the Chipmunk Cheeks there is initial swelling the first 2 or 3 days after removing them. Keeping ice packs on your jaw “30 minutes off and on for the first 24 to 48 hours is helpful” is in the instructions, elevating your head also reduces swelling. lol
I have only one wisdom tooth coming in at 25. It’s causing me some terrible pain, headaches, and inabilaty to eat on that side. It’s on the top left side. It’s just barely poking through, and food gets stuck in the “gap” all the time. It’s really rather annoying. I’ll be going soon to have it removed, as it’s pushing the second molar down, which causes more pain..as the second molar is now longer than the first molar, so everytime I bite down completely, pain shoots through my jaw. I cannot wait to have this bothersome, useless tooth removed!
What are these teeth that are coming out of little bumps of flesh or tissue?
I just started reading this article because i was trying to do research on wisdom teeth and read way more of these comments then is socially acceptable. either way. i have had 2 bad molers pulled top and bottom left side. and now have one WT comming in bottom left wich has pushed the moler infront of it foreward closing the gap from the previouse extraction of that bottom moler. Now i dont know if it will come in like planned and the sore gum is just from it cutting through? its been so long since ive cut teeth i dont remember what they feel like. Or if all wisdom teeth hurt like this and then get removed. Im sure that the WT on the other side if there are any under my gums will have to get removed because there is no room at all. I guess ill stick it out and see if this sucker comes in strait or not. I hate getting teeth pulled, but i guess everyone does.
ummm hey im 15 and i am gettin my first wisdom tooth and i thought it was a big hole in the back of my mouth then i started seein a tooth and it hurts kinda, but for some reason my jaw keeps geetin in the way where that tooth is growing and i keep biteing but i dont want to get them taken out and this article was helpful!!
HEY I AM 24. I HAVE WISDOM TOOTH GROWING IN ON THE RIGHT SIDE. AND IT HAS BEEN HURTING FOR 3 DAYS NOW. I HAVE BEEN PUTTING B.C. POWDER ON IT AND IT MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY FOR A FEW HOURS. AND THEN IT STARTS UP AGAIN. ITS NOT TO BAD OF A HURT. BUT IT HURTS BAD ENOUGH TO KNOW ITS THERE. LOL. ANYWAY HOW IN THE WORLD CAN I FIGURE OUT IF IT IS GROWING IN WRONG. OR IF ITS OKAY FOR IT TO HURT THIS LONG. I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO GO TO THE BIG D. SO…. AND I ALSO HAVE A BROKEN I GUESS YOU COULD SAY ROTTED OUT TOOTH. ONE THE LEFT PART OF MY JAW. IT HAS A SMALL CYST. IT DOESN’T EVER BOTHER ME. AND I HAVE POPED THE CYST ON OCCATION. IS THAT OKAY? PLEASE SOME ONE WRITE BACK. LOTS OF THANKS TO WHO EVER DOES.
kk…bye
potty training
omg your wierd
olli pop lolli pop oh lolli lollii pop lollii pop!
in July 2007
i had minor oral surgery
and wisdom tooth at right side was removed
and in 2009
another wisdom tooth growth out from the same site
Any idea why this happened?
Hey. I’m a sixteen (turning seventeen in a few days) and I’m having two wisdom teeth coming in. One of them is growing forward and doesn’t hurt as much unless you get near the bottom top (make sense?), where it pushes the most against the BOTTOM of my mouth. Because it’s growing outward, yeah? But the other tooth is growing BACKWARDS and if giving me a little bit of pain. Like, starting to hurt on that side. Is this pain just normal…teeth growing pain? Like, it might not be anything serious? Just more teeth breaking through thick gums or could this be a problem?
hello, im 29 (a little old for a new tooth i thought)and i have one wisdom tooth attempting to come through on my top left hand side.the same tooth had issues two years ago and my dentist told me it was nothing to worry about, it would continue to go up and down, and when it did break through it would need to be removed as there was no room for it. This time though, i feel really sick in my stomach. Does anyone know if feeling nauseous is a common symptom of a wisdom tooth coming?
I’m 17 years of age and i have a wisdom tooth on the bottom left side that was growing in and it hurt just a little. but the pain went away so ignored it. Now the pain is back and it is very FREAKIN ANNOYING. Sometimes i think this is punishment from God.
i have 4 wisdom teeth that grew through fine 22 years ago but i keep biting my tongue very badly, and i can feel them pulling now so i want to have them took out but i;ve never even had a filling at the age of 42, the thought of having a needle petrifies me so to have all 4 teeth took out under a local anathsetic is a no go. Will i be able to be put to sleep for this to be done
I am 39 years old and I have my third wisdom tooth coming in. Hurts like hell. I had the other 2 pulled in my twenties. Maybe this one will need to come out.
I’m 17 and although my parents didn’t get their wisdom teeth until late 20’s unfortunately all four of mine are groowwiing and one has “erupted.” I have a very small jaw, in fact one side is crooked and shorter than the other, and I’m just finishing braces so they recommended to get all four out asap. I’ve never had surgery before, never had nitrous, never had my blood drawn even, so I almost started crying in fear when they broke the news to me.
I find a lot of these comments very interesting especially you lucky bastards who get them in straight with no problems! Argh!
All I have to say is that if you’re absolutely terrified to pissing your pants like I am, of needles and pain (I get cavities every year because of my own dental issues but I drill without novocaine because needles scare me so much) then ask your oral surgeon to prescribe you a an anti-anxiety medication to take BEFORE YOU EVEN STEP IN THE OFFICE (Like attavan). This way you won’t sweat and shake and cry on your way to the chair. GET NITROUS FIRST, THEN THE IV, GET EVERYTHING YOU CAN!
Another thing interesting someone said is the glucose bag which I’ll suggest to my surgeon because I have anemia and some lbs problems and I really don’t want to go into a coma.
I expect to be posting back here in a few months!
OMG I have never been in so much pain in my life. Which is saying something, since I’ve always had a very high pain-tolerance. Top left WT has been bloody painful for the past week, finally stopped (sweet relief) and then decided to start shoving my 2nd molar out the front of my face. God people, if you know about them and they are going to be a problem, kids – get them out while you’re on your parent’s insurance! Parents – NOTHING is worth the PAIN they can cause later. Yes your baby will be in pain for a few days, yes they may be scared, or standoffish, but they will never know how much you pain you protected them from.
During the bad episodes it feels like it would be less painful to have someone rip them out with their fingers and a dull knife than the agony of them shoving through the roots of other teeth.
If they aren’t straight with room to spare, GET THEM THE h*** OUT!!
As for the lucky bastards that don’t have them, or manage with straight roomy, fully erupted WT. You should be thanking whatever powers you believe in and rejoice this Thanksgiving. You don’t know what you’re missing.
I am 58 and have both my left lower and upper wisdom teeth. they both have deep fillings. I must have had a root canal in the lower, as I broke a large piece of it and have no pain at all.
What is the best course of treatment for me at this stage of my life? Would it be better to fill and maybe put crown, or have removed all together. will the upper begin to come down into my lower socket as it did on the right? I had the right taken out at different times, years apart.
I wold apprecieate emails with suggestions. I will have to make a decision very soon.
Help recommended!
Thanks
Ronda Stern
good article…
my right cheeks hurts now .. but i love the pain!
Wisdom Teeth removal…really just another profit-generation scheme cooked up by dentists who like to pretend that they have a better answer to hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. I can’t tell you how many friends of mine have had their wisdom teeth almost immediately removed at the first sign of eruption/pain because “that’s what you do.” I dealt with the pain, the teeth erupted, and now I happily have those extra teeth. Beyond the initial pain, no other problems to deal with except the inevitable prodding of my dentist to “take them out,” with all of the varied excuses listed above. Mind you, I’ve now lived with these wisdom teeth for over 20 years and can chew with the best of them!
i got mine out when i was 14
This just goes to show you WE ALL are not the same. I will be 50 in July & have all my teeth,,wisdom included. No problems with them coming out. No problems still. Only time my teeth seem to ache is when my sinus’ are bad from the windy weather where I live.
I never got wisdom teeth. I have four children and all have had to have their surgically removed because the wisdom teeth were causing crowding and were painful. My oldest had her wisdom teeth come in sorta sideways and they cut into her gums.
Years ago an older dentist noticed my xrays and said HUMMM you have no wisdom teeth (I was about 16 then). I laughed and said I didn’t have to be wise to know that sounded like a GOOD thing! The dentist said that it was hereditary that some people just don’t get them. He said that people of the “Mongoloid” race (Native Americans, Asian, Eskimo, Islanders) were the only peoples he’d ever known to not get them. The only time I’d ever heard the term Mongoloid it was in reference to a mentally retarded person… I was upset because I thought the dentist was saying I must be retarded cause I had no wisdom teeth. It was a couple years before I figured out what he really meant… there’s a bit of wisdom for you (: )
I don’t know how true that dentist’s statement was, I was just relieved to hear that it’s perfectly normal for some people to NOT get wisdom teeth.
I had braces when i was 15 to 17(i had 2 teeth removed from my upper jaw to make room for the braces). i am now almost 22 now, and my perfect teeth are no longer perfect because my molars grew in and moved all my teeth. i had 2 bottom impacted molars removed. but now i have 2 more molars coming in straight on my upper jaw. sometimes i can tell when they are moving and i can feel my teeth shifting. My parents spent tones of money putting braces on me for nothing, because my teeth are no longer straight any more. It seems like i am stuck with crooked teeth for life. If i ever have kids i wil be making sure the molars are dealt with FIRST so i dont waste money on nothing. Bad smile = less success. bottom line, i hate dentists and the one who performed on me clearly doesn’t no anything.
I hate my wisdom teeth!!!!! I am 15 years old and im already growing them…the one growing at the bottom is cutting into my gums…it really hurts!!!!!
My cousin had a 3 rd tooth removed and hes 7.I saw him yesterday.Ime like are you some tipe of alien?But i found this soo i guess its comon.
Well again to prove we are all very different, at 42 my two bottom wisdom teeth bagan to erupt a few aches but no reason to yank them and now at 45 my top wisdom teeth are erupting. As I did not loose the last of my baby teeth until I was 17 this is probably quite normal.
I don’t know how old the article is but I was curious to know as to why they grow, googling it up gave me quite a few interesting results one of which claimed that a recent study showed that it isn’t due wisdom tooth problems aren’t due to the size of the jaw, but due to eating habits. Depending on the type of food you eat and how you chew, your wisdom teeth would grow.It is also said that it is not advisable to remove your wisdom teeth unless there is an issue.
I personally feel that evolution isn’t to be blamed, evolution never occurs to cause any impairment. It is necessary that there is no loss what so ever in the process of evolution. Don’t get me wrong I am not claiming that there is no such thing as a vestigial organ, simply that vestigial organs will not hamper, damage other parts of the body.
Hence the reason, wisdom teeth are replacement teeth make satisfactory sense. They are there to back up the worn out primary and secondary molars.
great article! Im in my mid 30’s and I have all four wisdom teeth already in and have been using them for sometime. Occasionally I bite the inside cheek or the tooth region feels sore, but other than that, it’s kinda cool having theses…in an odd evolutionary way. However they’re removal comes up every 6 months with my cleanings. I didnt have health insurance when I was between the ages of 17 to 25. And now that I do, and the potential for infection as I age, makes me wonder if I should have them out soon.