There are 32 teeth in both jaws of an adult. Wisdom teeth are the last in each row, they erupt later than the rest. Thanks to this feature, they got their name, although they have nothing to do with intelligence or wisdom. In dental language, they are called third molars.
In terms of their structure, wisdom teeth are no different from the rest: they have a root, a neck and a crown covered with enamel. But they have several peculiar features. First, they have no dairy predecessors; secondly, they do not always cut through. Normally, they should grow in a person between the ages of 17 and 30, but in reality this may happen much later or not at all. Many millennia ago, wisdom teeth occupied a worthy place in the dentition of the human jaw, which was then slightly larger, since the ancestors of humans ate harder food and had a massive jaw. There were no problems with these teeth. But gradually humanity switched to soft food that did not need to be chewed so thoroughly. In addition, the brain increased, which affected the structure of the skull and maxillofacial apparatus. Third molars ceased to participate in the act of chewing and became rudimentary, continuing to grow in the jaw, in which there was already much less room for them. Therefore, many people have problems with teething wisdom teeth. Since they grow up late, in conditions of lack of space, and overcoming a mechanical obstacle, they cause painful sensations. In addition, their growth is often accompanied by various complications, for example, the third molar can take an incorrect position in the jaw and lie horizontally or with an inclination. The lower teeth, as they grow, sometimes touch the nerves or destroy their neighbors, grow towards the cheek or tongue, causing inflammation and pain. Recently, cases of the absence of the rudiments of wisdom teeth have become more frequent, which confirms the opinion about the rudimentary nature of third molars. While in other people, these teeth grow without problems and are fully functional. Until now, scientists cannot say why nature preserved them. Dentists always express this opinion: if a wisdom tooth causes problems, it is advisable to remove it, but when there is no reason for concern, and they participate in the chewing process, then nothing needs to be changed. In addition, if earlier, with the slightest complications, third molars were unconditionally pulled out, today many dentists are inclined to think that they should be tried to be preserved, because they can become a good support for prosthetics of other teeth.
