Why Do You Get Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are a curious thing. You don’t get them until you’re in your late teens or early adulthood, they frequently wreak havoc on your mouth, and very often they are simply extracted before they cause even more damage. So, why do you even have them?

If you’ve been curious about wisdom teeth, here are some interesting facts about them, and why it’s often necessary to have them removed.

The Purpose of Wisdom Teeth

Unlike their name might suggest, wisdom teeth don’t make you any smarter. They simply appear around the age where you’re probably a bit more experienced than you were when you got the rest of your teeth.

Wisdom teeth are believed to have first appeared to replace adult teeth that were worn down by early man’s diet. Without modern foods and preparation methods, ancient diets consisted of much more roughage like seeds, nuts, roots, and meats. With time, these foods caused the teeth to break down, and thus a new set of molars would conveniently appear to help ensure our ancestors could still eat.

Why Are Wisdom Teeth So Dangerous Now?

Back in the days when wisdom teeth were still useful, humans looked a bit different. Their jaws were much larger than ours are and could easily accommodate four extra molars. Today, however, they are much smaller, and because of this, these extra teeth can often cause a host of problems, from crowding to impaction.

Impaction is when the teeth grow in sideways and begin pushing on the other healthy molars. This can cause them to break the molars or cause painful crowding that can damage your bite. They can also be difficult to clean and are prone to frequent cavities. Because of this, it is often necessary to extract them for the good of the rest of your mouth.

The Great News About Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The great news about wisdom teeth is that your dentist is highly trained in extracting them and will only recommend this procedure if absolutely necessary to protect your teeth. Wisdom tooth removal is a common procedure and will benefit your oral health, so if you’ve been recommended extraction, rest assured that this is very important.

Remember, wisdom teeth are no longer necessary thanks to modern diets and cooking methods, so there is no need to keep them in place if they are only going to cause dangerous oral health problems down the road.

About Dr. Cordini

Dr. Franco Cordini knew that his original career wasn’t a good fit when he realized it did nothing to help people. Naturally, he gravitated towards dentistry to help satisfy that need. Today, Dr. Cordini enjoys providing patients with high quality care that never ceases to make them smile!

To schedule an appointment for wisdom teeth extraction, please visit our website or call us today at 502-425-5010.