Why are the Back Teeth Called Wisdom Teeth?

There are really two questions about these large, back teeth that intrigue people on a regular basis. The question asked in the title can be answered rather simply, if you believe the legends and traditions that have passed down from generation to generation. The teeth that grow in the back part of the jaw usually come in when we are in our late teens. Sometimes they push through in our 20s. Supposedly this is when people are really starting to learn about the world, gaining wisdom, so to speak.

This idea of “special” teeth dates back thousands of years. In ancient Greece these late-appearing teeth were referred to as “teeth of wisdom” as well as judgment teeth, because they seem to appear when men and women are not only wiser but also able to make better judgments about life on a daily basis. The term “wisdom” as applied to these large back molars first appeared in the English language about 350 years ago. But, as already mentioned, terms with similar meanings were used in Greek, Arabic and Dutch.

But there is another question related to these particular molars. Now that we know a little more about why they are called wisdom teeth, what else can we learn? Why do we have them at all?

For some people the wisdom teeth are nothing but trouble. They are large and may cause pain, even to the point of pushing against other teeth because there is no room for them. This may not have been a problem in earlier times because dental hygiene wasn’t a major concern and people often had lost teeth by the time the wisdom teeth appeared. It’s not a problem for some in modern times because their jaws are large enough or they too have lost teeth.

Some people hold the theory that our jaw lines are a bit smaller now than they were hundreds of years ago, so wisdom teeth are more of a problem now than they were previously. There is also evidence that some people on Earth don’t experience the problems with wisdom teeth that other sections of the population do. This may well be a matter of size differences in the jaw, the skull and in overall body size.

The wisdom teeth are third-molar teeth. Generally, adults who have wisdom teeth will have four, two on the bottom and two on the top. But there are individuals who have more than four or just two. Those who experience problems with wisdom teeth often have to have them surgically removed. The pressure to grow these teeth can actually cause them to come in crooked, not lined up correctly with the other teeth. Some people don’t grow wisdom teeth at all. This is due to genetics – people whose ancestors did not have these teeth may not have wisdom teeth either.

One of the most interesting facts about wisdom teeth is that they are described in detail in dozens of languages, from Korean and Chinese to Spanish and Hebrew.