During your teen and adult years, extra molars start to grow in known as wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are the cause of most dental surgeries every year, and cause a great deal of pain and damage if they do grow in.
So why do we even have wisdom teeth? We’ve got the right answers for you!
The Purpose of Wisdom Teeth
The luxury of processed foods is a newer concept. Our ancestors were forced to hunt and gather their food. We are lead to believe their diet consisted of harder foods than we’re used to today.
Similar to other muscles in the body, your jaw grows the more you use it. Our ancestor’s diets consisted of harder food which resulted in their jaw growing to be much larger than they are today. This allowed for wisdom teeth to grow in and be used for harder food.
Now that we aren’t using our jaw muscles nearly as much, most don’t have room or the need for wisdom teeth.
Wisdom Tooth Pain
If you’re experiencing pain in the back of your mouth, there’s a good chance your wisdom teeth are growing in. Wisdom teeth are known to shift your pre-existing teeth when there isn’t enough space. Other times they grow in sideways, and only the lucky ones grow in perfectly fine! The best idea is to get X-rays done and discuss your options. Visit GVR Dental & Orthodontics to discuss your wisdom teeth options!