What they are and why they can cause health problems. How food shapes human anatomy. The voice of a specialist.
Wisdom teeth are four pieces, two on the top and two on the bottom, and are part of the set of 32 permanent teeth that every human being has.
Wisdom teeth , also known as third molars , are a cause of concern for many because of the problems they can cause, from extreme pain to the need for extraction. But why do these teeth persist and what is their purpose in human evolution? “They are an inheritance from our ancestors. Many years ago, the diet was different, so the ’third molars’ were required to be able to eat raw meat and roots, for example, and those foods that required chewing force with more prominent jaws," he tells the Agency. of Scientific News from the National University of Quilmes, María de las Mercedes Pérez, dentist, specialist in Orthodontics.
The extraction of wisdom teeth is a common intervention due to the disorders it can cause, affecting even the closest teeth.
These teeth, which appear between the ages of 17 and 25, are so called because they emerge at the stage when humans are supposed to be able to make judgments. Despite their association with discomfort, they are structurally similar to anterior molars and their presence is attributed to human evolution. The eruption of these teeth can vary: some people experience them without problems, aligning correctly with other teeth; However, others may face partial eruptions, making oral hygiene difficult and increasing the risk of infections.
“Impacted teeth, unable to fully erupt due to lack of space or poor alignment, can cause pain, inflammation and increase the risk of infections,” explains Pérez. And he adds: “The discomfort includes swelling, redness and sensitivity in the area. Therefore, in cases of lack of space or alignment problems, extraction may be recommended to prevent complications.”
Ancient functions and modern reality
According to the specialist, as humans evolved, the jaws adapted to handle a more varied diet, including harder and more fibrous foods. In this context, wisdom teeth probably played a crucial role in efficient chewing. However, times have changed and the excess consumption of ultra-processed foods , along with the lack of need to chew robust foods, leads to these molars becoming apparently useless today.
Following this line, a study carried out by researchers at the University of Adelaide, in Australia, reports that contemporary babies are no longer born with wisdom teeth . This observation is attributed to the acceleration of human evolution in recent decades, even surpassing the changes that have occurred in the last 250 years. The absence of these molars could be an evolutionary advantage for modern humans with smaller jaws.
The explanation lies in various factors. In modernity, human faces are becoming shorter, which leads to smaller jaws. According to experts, this anatomical change is directly related to the lack of need to chew bulky foods. Thus, in an era in which most foods are processed and cooked, the physical demand of chewing decreases significantly. The research, published in the Journal of Anatomy, highlights other recent evolutionary changes, such as shorter faces in new generations, additional bones in the feet and legs, and an additional artery in the forearm. Along these lines, specialists speak of “microevolution” to describe this phenomenon, and point out that evolutionary changes are being experienced in a short period of time.
All in all, although anchored in the evolutionary past, these molars face a crossroads in modern society. The lack of need for these pieces today raises the question of whether they should be considered relics or whether their systematic extraction is the answer to the complications they can generate.
María Ximena Perez is a journalist, teacher and researcher. She specializes in teaching in virtual environments.
