Find out everything you need to know about these famous teeth and how extraction procedures have evolved. Don't miss this fascinating exploration into the world of dentistry and clear all your doubts about wisdom teeth - get ready for a dose of dental knowledge!
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars or wisdom teeth, are the last teeth to appear in the mouth, usually between the ages of 17 and 25. These teeth are so named because they erupt in the stage of life known as the "age of judgment", unlike the other molars that erupt in childhood or adolescence. Thus, these molars usually appear when the person has more experience and maturity, hence their name.
Although in some cases these molars can erupt without causing problems, in most people their extraction is necessary due to the lack of space in the jaw and their tendency to cause complications. It should be noted that more and more people are simply born without wisdom teeth, due to evolutionary aspects that we will explain below.
Did you know that wisdom teeth were useful to our prehistoric ancestors?
The role of wisdom teeth in human evolution is an interesting and debated topic. According to some experts, these molars were necessary because their diet consisted of harder and more fibrous foods, such as roots and raw meat. Therefore, wisdom teeth were useful to grind these foods and facilitate digestion, working just like any other tooth today. However, due to the change in our lifestyle, we can say that wisdom teeth have become an evolutionary vestige, which is in the process of disappearing.
For many, many years, the human species has been consuming softer, processed and almost always cooked food, which greatly facilitates the process of chewing and digestion. Consequently, the jaws have been reducing in size, causing the wisdom teeth to run out of space to erupt and position themselves. This is one of the main reasons why, on many occasions, their extraction is necessary, since they tend to get trapped, causing pain, inflammation, infections and even damage to neighboring teeth, such as crowding.
On the other hand, more and more people are being born without wisdom teeth, giving us to understand that it is only a matter of time before our species stops dealing with this problem. Are you one of those lucky ones we could consider: the evolved specimen?
Let's talk about the extraction technique
The technique of wisdom tooth removal has also evolved significantly in recent times, as is to be expected. Previously, invasive surgeries involving large incisions and sutures were used, but all that is now a thing of the past. Today, wisdom tooth extraction is a minimally invasive procedure.
A small incision is made and the tooth is fragmented in the mouth using special instruments. The fragments are then removed and a small, very precise suture is used to close. This reduces the trauma and speeds up the patient's recovery enormously. In addition, anesthesia also plays a key role in this aspect. Currently, local anesthetics are used, but in more complex cases, conscious sedation can also be used to relax the patient, and even general anesthesia in very specific cases. The process may be uncomfortable, but it is completely painless.
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In conclusion, wisdom teeth are teeth that have lost their primary function in human evolution and, in most cases, extraction is necessary due to lack of space in the jaw. The extraction technique has evolved to minimize trauma and speed up the patient's recovery, thus providing a better surgical experience. If you have pain or discomfort in this area, it is advisable to see a specialist in oral surgery to evaluate your case and determine if wisdom teeth extraction is necessary. Remember that oral health is fundamental to enjoy a good quality of life.
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We leave you some interesting articles as a bibliography, in case you want to continue researching on your own about the moles of the judiciary:
1. "Las muelas del juicio: preguntas frecuentes" - Colegio Oficial de Odontólogos y Estomatólogos de Cataluña: https://www.coec.cat/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/muelas-del-juicio.pdf
2. "Muelas del juicio: qué son, cuándo extraerlas y cuidados después de la cirugía" - Clínica Mayo: https://www.mayoclinic.org/es-es/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/in-depth/wisdom-teeth-removal/art-20047851
3. "Muelas del juicio: cuándo extraerlas y qué esperar" - Colgate: https://www.colgate.es/oral-health/wisdom-teeth/what-to-expect-after-wisdom-tooth-removal
4. "Muelas del juicio: extracción y cuidados después de la cirugía" - Asociación Dental Americana: https://www.ada.org/es/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/april/removing-wisdom-teeth
5. "Muelas del juicio: preguntas y respuestas" - Sociedad Española de Cirugía Bucal (SECIB): https://www.secibonline.com/noticias/7A9BF2CB-E460-4FB1-9FB5-BF1EFF2CB686
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