Each year, five million Americans get their wisdom teeth removed, which costs about three billion dollars
in total medical costs. But for many, it's worth it, since leaving them in can
cause serious problems like gum infection, tooth
decay, and even tumors. But wisdom teeth weren't always the unwelcome
threat we see today. Wisdom teeth have been around
for millennia. Our ancient ancestors used them the same way we
use our other eight molars: to grind up food, which was especially handy
before the advent of cooking around seven thousand years ago, back when our diet consisted of raw meat and plants that were fibrous
and tough to chew. But once we got our hands
on softer cooked foods, our powerful jaws no longer
needed to work as hard and shrank as a result. But here's the problem: The genes that determine
the size of our jaws are completely separate from
the genes that determine how many teeth we grow. So as our jaws shrank, we still kept all 32 teeth. And it eventually got to the point where there wasn't enough
space to fit all of the teeth. But why did wisdom teeth
specifically get the boot? Well, they're the last
to show up to the party. Wisdom teeth don't usually
grow in until you're between 16 and 18 years old. And by that time, chances
are your other 28 teeth have taken up all the
available space in your mouth. In that case, instead of growing in like a normal tooth wisdom teeth get trapped
or impacted in your jaw, which often makes them
grow in at odd angles and press against your back molars causing pain and swelling. It also forms a narrow
crevice between the teeth creating the perfect food trap. This makes the tooth difficult to clean which attracts more bacteria and can cause infection and tooth decay, eventually leading to gum
disease if left untreated. But it gets worse. Tooth decay can eventually
destroy your wisdom tooth. So, to save you and your teeth from such a horrible fate, dentists will often remove wisdom teeth before they go rogue. Seems reasonable, right? Well, it's actually a controversial topic among some in the dental community. The worry is that we're removing our wisdom teeth too frequently, often when it's unnecessary and the teeth pose no threat, like if your mouth is big enough or you're one of the 38 percent of people who don't develop all four wisdom teeth. In that case,
risks from surgery like infection and nerve damage pose more danger
than the teeth themselves. But the fact remains. When wisdom teeth do
become a problem, you'll curse the day we invented cooking.
Feel like its still a clouded topic that will greatly benefit us if more research was done on it.
After I got my Wisdom teeth removed, I noticed my Ramus getting shorter over a few years. Whilst my older sister actually has a more defined jaw maybe due to her wisdom teeth still being in place. Of course maybe other factors play in but I feel like Wisdom teeth play a part in facial development.
Will removing wisdom teeth make your jaw worse?
I need help. My wisdom tooth is pushing my gum hard... Its aching this shit but i cant pay to extract It cuz i don't have a health insurance/Care..
Very nonbias, i like that.
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