Wisdom teeth removal is a super common procedure. In fact, close to 90% of people in the United States will undergo surgery to remove all four of their wisdom teeth at some point in their lives. It’s so commonplace that you might be surprised to learn that this wasn’t always the case. Wisdom tooth extraction actually has its roots deep in human evolution.
Did our jaws have space for extra teeth in the past without needing a dental surgeon who pulls wisdom teeth to intervene? What changed down the line to where the majority of the population gets surgery where wisdom teeth are pulled? Let’s take a look.
Our Jaws Were Roomier in the Past
Way back in the past, our jaws were larger and didn’t need wisdom teeth removal. Not that there would have been a dental surgeon who specializes in pulling wisdom teeth anyways. Our jaws were more spacious mostly due to the diet of our early hominid ancestors.
In eons past, our ancestors weren’t stopping at the grocery store on the way home to pick up processed foods. They were scavenging and foraging their food. The food was tough and fibrous, consisting mostly of raw plants and meat. To survive on a diet of food that would be considered difficult to chew these days, the hominids evolved to have stronger, larger jawbones. These larger-than-life jaws on early humans had plenty of space for a full set of teeth, including wisdom teeth. With enough space, the four extra molars easily came through without the need for getting their wisdom teeth taken out.
Fossil record evidence also supports this idea. Early human skulls have been unearthed with jaws intact, and wisdom teeth in place. No signs of impaction or difficulty around the wisdom teeth.
A Shift in Jaw Size
As the years went on, the need for crazy big jaws started to disappear. During the agricultural revolution, processed foods became commonplace in human diets. Processed foods tend to be softer and easier to chew. Without all that jaw stimulation, humans needed big, powerful jaws less and less. As generations of people went on, jaw size and length declined as the consumption of softer foods increased. Cooking techniques allowing for humans to cut, grind, and boil food contributed to this as well.
Once the jaw size started shrinking noticeably, crowding began to occur. Crowding is when there’s not enough room in the jaw for wisdom teeth to come in. It’s what eventually leads to most people visiting their local oral surgeon to have all four wisdom teeth extracted. Untreated, crowding leads to complications like impaction, misalignment of existing teeth, pain, and plenty of other issues.
The Need for Wisdom Teeth Extractions
The reason why people in the modern day often seek out wisdom teeth removal by a licensed oral surgeon is, at its core, due to a gradual change in diet and the resulting evolution of the size of the jaw. Our jaws don’t need the extra chewing power that was once bestowed upon our ancestors in the form of four whole extra molars. They’ve essentially become vestigial, which is a fancy way of saying that wisdom teeth become more or less useless through evolution.
In fact, not only are they useless, but they’re more of a hindrance than anything. There are the chosen few (read: people with humongous jaws) whose wisdom teeth grow in just fine without the need for a wisdom tooth removal specialist to intervene. And then there’s the rest of the population.
Impacted wisdom teeth that require removal negatively affect the mouth if left in for too long. Patients who need wisdom teeth extraction due to impacted teeth might experience the following symptoms:
- Pain and infection – impacted wisdom teeth are notoriously difficult to clean properly. Bacteria and food particles get stuck in the folds and crevices, and inflammation and infection soon follow.
- Damage to adjacent teeth – without seeing an oral surgeon specialist for removing all four wisdom teeth, patients might experience damage to surrounding teeth. As the wisdom teeth push against their neighbors, they can cause misalignment, root resorption, and a whole bunch of other maladies.
- Cysts or tumors – in slightly rarer cases, patients can experience cysts that form around wisdom teeth. These cysts cause damage to the jawbone, nerves, and surrounding teeth. While these cysts are almost always benign, it’s not something to ignore.
There’s no shame in visiting that oral surgeon down the road for impacted wisdom teeth removal. The procedure is relatively straightforward, and after some healing time, you’ll be good as new.
