Many years ago, humans didn’t have the luxury of modern cooking tools like sharp knives, vegetable steamers and propane grills. Munching on uncooked meats, nuts, berries, roots and other natural plants produced strong molars and a broader jaw in consumers, out of sheer necessity and survival.
Fast forward to the 21st century and we have the ability to cut, chop, dice, boil, steam, and bake just about anything and everything we eat. In other words, our foods are much softer and easier to eat, putting less emphasis on the need for wisdom teeth. Interestingly enough, our mouths are really created to hold around 28 teeth but if we include the 4 wisdom teeth, there are 32 total teeth vying for space in an overcrowded mouth. That’s often why wisdom teeth are impacted or cause infection, leading to eventual extraction.
Technically, wisdom teeth are known as third molars. But most of us know them by their slightly more comical and intriguing name. They are called this because wisdom teeth appear much later than other teeth, at an age where one is(hopefully) wiser than a young child, when the first teeth make their debut.
Feeling pain in those back teeth? Curious about the condition of your wisdom teeth? To pull or not to pull? Visit our office to get these questions (and more) answered by our experienced, helpful dental staff.