What are wisdom teeth and why do we have them?
June 16, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Your wisdom teeth are the last teeth to break through, or erupt. Usually, they erupt in the late teens or early twenties. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), “Anthropologists note that the rough diet of early humans resulted in the excessive wear of their teeth. Normal drifting of the teeth to compensate for this wear ensured that space was available for most wisdom teeth to erupt by adolescence. The modern diet, which is much softer, and the popularity of orthodontic tooth straightening procedures produce a fuller dental arch, which quite commonly doesn’t leave room …read more




