These third molars are well known for causing problems in the mouth. Over time, humans have
had less of a need for wisdom teeth and so our jaws have compensated for this. Unfortunately,
many people still have wisdom teeth even though they’re not needed.

Does everyone need to get their wisdom teeth out eventually? The answer may surprise you!

When Wisdom Teeth Are Impacted

Wisdom teeth will need to come out when they are impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth happen
when there’s no room for the teeth to properly erupt into your mouth. These wisdom teeth
end up pushing on the neighboring teeth, therefore forcing all of the teeth out of position if
they’re left to grow.

Another problem with impacted wisdom teeth is that sometimes due to their skewed position
in the mouth, they can’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They effectively get stuck.
These teeth become almost impossible to brush and can cause pain and infections. When
wisdom teeth are impacted, they’ll most likely need to be removed.

No Problems, No Extraction

Not everyone will need to have their wisdom teeth removed. If your jaw is large enough to
accommodate all of your wisdom teeth and they begin erupting with no problems, there’s
really no reason to remove your wisdom teeth. If you’re not having any symptoms and an x-ray
shows the teeth are in healthy positions, your dentist likely won’t recommend an extraction.

Although the majority of people do end up having their wisdom teeth removed, there is a small
percentage of people who can keep their wisdom teeth without any problems. A professional
and experienced dentist can help you know what your options are when your wisdom teeth
begin to come in.

How to Tell if an Extraction Is Necessary

There are a couple ways to tell if wisdom tooth extraction is necessary. The first is getting
dental x-rays around the time that your wisdom teeth will be coming in. Your dentist can look
at the x-rays and tell whether or not your wisdom teeth are impacted. X-rays can show your
wisdom teeth even when they’re not visible in your mouth.

If you’re having any symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth, it’s time to see your dentist for an
evaluation. Signs and symptoms of wisdom teeth that may need to be removed include jaw
pain or swelling, bleeding or swollen gums around the site, headaches, or a bad taste in your
mouth. All of these could be indicative of an infection or a problem with your wisdom teeth.

Although not everyone will need to have their wisdom teeth out, you should never ignore
wisdom tooth pain. If you haven’t seen the dentist in a while and your wisdom teeth are
coming in, it’s time to get x-rays. Getting your wisdom teeth extracted before they cause
problems with your other teeth is best. If your wisdom teeth are healthy, your dentist can
advise you how to best take care of them for life!

The post Does Everyone Have to Get Their Wisdom Teeth Removed Eventually? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

They Were Essential to Our Ancestors

Wisdom teeth likely became part of the human jaw on account of our distant ancestors. These people ate a diet that consisted of lots of raw, crunchy foods such as roots, plants, and nuts. Even meat could be difficult to consume for people who lacked the proper utensils! These third molars were present in people who had larger jaws than we did. Over thousands of years, our jaws and our faces have actually gotten smaller. We no longer have the need for huge jaws with lots of teeth. Although our ancestors likely found wisdom teeth to be a great help when chewing their food and preventing their teeth from wearing down too much, today, wisdom teeth are really no longer needed.

Evolution Has Rendered Them Unnecessary

On account of our smaller jaws, there’s no longer room for an additional four large molars in our jaws. Although wisdom teeth come in at a time when the jaw is fully developed, there still just isn’t much use for them today. Our foods have also gotten easier to eat. No longer do we need to crunch on raw roots and plants when we have the ability to cook meals and cut up our meat for easy consumption. Today, wisdom teeth do more harm than good to the majority of people. Wisdom teeth often become impacted in modern humans. Impacted wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the jaw and end up crowding the other teeth or causing pain. In fact, impacted wisdom teeth have been happening to humans for centuries. The oldest case dates back to the skeleton of a woman found in France who lived 15,000 years ago! Her remains showed severely impacted third molars.

Wisdom Teeth Today

35% of people never even develop wisdom teeth. The possible cause of this is because evolution may be phasing them out again, as modern humans no longer need wisdom teeth. Some people may develop less than four wisdom teeth. It’s rare to have more than four, however. Wisdom teeth cause of host of problems to people today. They can cause infection if they don’t erupt through the gumline all the way. They are difficult to brush, can cause jaw pain, crowded teeth, and ruin orthodontic work.

It’s no wonder that many people find removing their wisdom teeth is a simple solution to experiencing pain, discomfort, or crooked teeth from impaction. Although wisdom teeth were certainly helpful at one point, wisdom teeth are commonly removed today. Our ancestors used their third molars to help them consume foods that were essential to their health. Now, we have smaller jaws and less room for wisdom teeth than our descendants did!

The post Why We Have Wisdom Teeth: Explained! appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.