wisdom tooth

The post We finally know why we grow wisdom teeth as adults appeared first on Popular Science.

Lots of people in the US get their wisdom teeth taken out, which might make you think that they’re some kind of evolutionary leftover—some artifact of a prehistoric life that’s no longer relevant.

It’s just one dental milestone and one of three molar milestones, but until recently we had no idea why wisdom teeth emerged so late in life.

Each one will be perfectly engineered to its niche, without the awkward wisdom teeth and appendixes that we carry with us, and that betray our origins as creatures not designed by anyone.

Another writer takes off patches of the diseased tissue, and another a strip of the gum, from wisdom-tooth to wisdom-tooth.

But you might get that cavity in your upper right wisdom tooth taken care of.

The last lower molar (wisdom tooth) of the gibbon is like that of man, quadri-tuberculate.

"And they pulled a rotten wisdom tooth for me," said Watkins.

The right upper wisdom-tooth, the molar next to it, and the second lower molar on the left side, had all extensive gold fillings.