Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom Teeth : Austin Family Dental

Wisdom teeth, also called your third molars can help you with chewing if your jaw is big enough to handle the extra four teeth.

Variations in DNA which are known as mutations when humans reproduced around 2.4 million years ago caused their jaws to become smaller and brains become bigger. This mutated genetic information was passed onto offspring because it was a favorable trait.

As the brain grew larger and the jaw became smaller, there eventually was no room for wisdom teeth in the new smaller jaw as the favorable trait of a larger brain was passed on. Currently, we have Oral Surgeons to remove wisdom teeth that are impacted or infected.

If you are born without your wisdom teeth, you are at an evolutionary advantage. As of now, we use oral surgeons to remove wisdom teeth, but the genetic mutation of no wisdom teeth is a beneficial trait.
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/no-wisdom-teeth1.htm

Cavity on Wisdom Tooth

Unable to clean bacteria and plaque off the wisdom teeth can cause a cavity on a wisdom tooth.
Unable to floss near the wisdom teeth can cause a cavity on your wisdom tooth and possibly neighboring teeth.

Wisdom Tooth Impacted

There is not enough room for the third molars, this may cause damage to neighboring teeth to crowd or shift.
A cyst could form by the wisdom tooth. This may damage the bone or neighboring tooth roots.

Wisdom Tooth Infection

Due to a tooth that is partially erupted through gums. Bacteria can enter the gums and cause a gum infection or due to a cavity that has reached the nerve of the wisdom tooth.