Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars usually emerge during teens or adolescence period. While many people have around one to four wisdom teeth, some people do not have wisdom teeth at all.
Wisdom teeth are the ones that grow at the back of your mouth. It’s pretty common to have wisdom teeth but these can also cause issues to some.
Most people tend to feel pain as the teeth break through the gums. Teeth can also become impacted below the gum surface if there is not much space in your mouth. But the question is- Why do some people have wisdom teeth and others don’t?
Consequently, let us understand the reasons behind the presence and absence of wisdom teeth in people in this blog outlined below.
Purpose Of Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth removal is not something rare but is a common dental procedure these days as the person having all four wisdom teeth coming in may experience overcrowding as there’s space only for 28 teeth in the mouth.
One purpose of wisdom teeth is that they serve as replacement teeth for our distant ancestors. The foods we eat today and good oral hygiene reduce the chances of people losing teeth.
But our ancestors ate diverse kinds of foods and were more prone to dental issues like tooth decay and others.
Consequently, wisdom teeth serve little purpose these days and only cause harm rather than do good to them.
Reasons Why Some People Do Not Have Wisdom Teeth
People not having wisdom teeth might tend to feel that there must be an issue with their oral health. But the reality is that it is perfectly fine to not have wisdom teeth. The research reveals that 5-37% of people have one or more missing wisdom teeth.
Here are some of the reasons why many of you might not have wisdom teeth.
Genetics
The primary reason for not having wisdom teeth is genetics. It means that if your parents did not have wisdom teeth, you are also less likely to develop wisdom teeth in your life. There are only certain genes that led to the development of wisdom teeth and not everyone tends to have those genes.
Diet
Our diet also goes a long way in determining whether one tends to have wisdom teeth or not. Consuming highly processed foods causes jaws to shrink which in turn reduces the space for wisdom teeth. A diet rich in nutrients such as fruits and vegetables results in the proper growth of jaws increasing your chances of wisdom teeth.
Besides these, other factors that result in a lack of wisdom teeth include environment and chewing function. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you are not able to see your wisdom teeth, it does not mean that it’s not there.
There are times when wisdom teeth do not fully emerge because these become impacted or get stuck in the gums.
The best way to detect an impacted tooth is to have a Dental X-ray. The dentist doing the wisdom teeth treatment in Berwick may recommend wisdom tooth extraction to prevent you from experiencing pain and gum infections.
Complications Of Wisdom Teeth
Not everyone opts for wisdom teeth removal in Berwick because it hurts but solely because of the complications down the road. Mostly, wisdom teeth tend to cause problems in the long run. Some complications associated with wisdom teeth include:
- Wisdom teeth can also cause oral infections such as pain, tenderness, bad breath, or a foul taste.
- Swelling or redness in the gums
- Dental cavities
- Tooth Pain
Wrapping Up
The reasons stated above reveal why some people have wisdom teeth and others do not. Consider yourself fortunate enough to be born without wisdom teeth as you won’t have to consider the removal of teeth. The ones having wisdom teeth should schedule regular dental visits to the dentist in Berwick every 6 months to keep a close eye on these emerging teeth.