Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Many people have asked this question when they begin searching for information regarding wisdom teeth removal. Why are we born with wisdom teeth if they just need to be removed? Well not everyone needs to have their wisdom teeth removed. When they align properly and gum tissue is healthy, wisdom teeth do not have to be removed. Unfortunately, this does not generally happen. Wisdom teeth removal is necessary when they are prevented from properly erupting within the mouth. They may grow sideways, partially emerge from the gum, and even remain trapped beneath the gum and bone.

Rochele Cooper explains on ScienceLine.org that, “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.”

So while our wisdom teeth would have been extremely useful to us a century or so ago, they are semi-useless to us these days with all of the advances in technologies. If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed then give our oral surgeon in Melbourne, Florida, Dr. Steve Sedaros, a call today to schedule an appointment.