When we hit our adolescent years, we seem to regress to a time in our life we passed a long time ago – the teething stage, because it looks like you are getting your wisdom teeth. Officially called as the third molars, nobody really knows why wisdom teeth develop so late or why we have them, in the first place. The name “wisdom” is taken from how these teeth often come in between the ages of 17 and 25, which is called by many as the “age of wisdom”.
There have been theories thrown around as to why exactly we have these teeth. Though, one theory that sticks out for most people is that the early humans needed the extra row of teeth to chew properly. And, when you look at their diet that consisted mostly of roots, nuts and raw meat, it doesn’t take an expert to make a somewhat valid conclusion that chewing on raw meat would definitely warrant the need for an extra set of teeth.
Then again, we no longer live lives similar to our ancestors. In fact, our lives could not be any farther from them, especially when it comes to our diet. We don’t feed off on roots at all and we don’t exclusively munch on nuts for our daily nutritional needs anymore. Our meat is also cooked, much more tender, softer and easier to chew. To put it simply, modern humans just don’t have any need for a third set of molars anymore.
If you find that you are getting your wisdom teeth, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible.
If you’re interested in learning more about wisdom teeth, contact Dr. Larry Lieberman, DDS at 727-785-8017 to schedule a consultation today. Or visit www.dentist-lieberman.com for additional information.
Dr. Larry Lieberman proudly accepts patients from Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and surrounding areas.
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