Are individuals without wisdom teeth considered more evolved?

If you ever find yourself stuck at a party with no topic to discuss, casually mention you're getting your wisdom teeth extracted. Just mentioning them can spark a heated debate, with people eager to share their own horror stories of the procedure. You’ll hear tales of how one girl’s face ballooned like a watermelon, another battled dry sockets, and a guy had to skip Christmas dinner because Jell-O was the only thing he could eat. The virtues of anesthesia versus staying awake during the procedure will be hotly debated, and you'll hear people comparing how many teeth they had removed. You can just sit back and enjoy being the life of the party.

Formally known to dentists as third molars, wisdom teeth are also humorously referred to as cash cows by oral surgeons and, for those who've experienced their removal, sources of immense surgical discomfort. These teeth earn their name due to the age at which they emerge, typically between 17 and 25 years old, a time when individuals may be pursuing wisdom through higher education [source: Cooper].

Third molars often have the unfortunate tendency to become impacted, growing at awkward angles or in unexpected spots. This misalignment can lead to pain and infection, and even if the teeth emerge correctly, problems can still arise. Third molars are hard to clean, making them prone to decay and possible infection of nearby teeth. They can also crowd adjacent teeth, undoing years of orthodontic work. For these reasons, dentists often advise removing wisdom teeth in young adults, before they attach to the jaw and make removal more complicated.

While you may miss a few days from school or work for the surgery, you're likely not to miss your wisdom teeth once they're gone, since we no longer have much use for them. But if we don’t need them, why do these teeth appear at all? Could it be possible they might one day vanish?

The Evolution of Wisdom Teeth

There was a time when our jaws were large enough to comfortably fit all 32 teeth, including the third molars. However, this was about 100 million years ago, back in the prehistoric era. Early humans, unlike today’s upright walkers, moved around on all fours, with a large, protruding jaw leading the way.

Early humans had larger, more prominent jaws because teeth were crucial for survival. Since the front limbs were occupied with maintaining balance and running, teeth were prehistoric man's main tool for catching, tearing apart, and consuming prey. Our ancestors thrived on a tough, chewy diet of leaves, roots, and raw meat. Having 32 teeth provided a significant advantage, especially since early humans didn’t visit the dentist regularly as we do today. Third molars might have served as a valuable backup when teeth were lost or worn down.

Then evolution took its course with early humans, and teeth became less critical. Hominids began to walk upright, and arms took over the job of acquiring food. Following that, brains grew larger while jaws became shorter. Researchers still aren't entirely sure what caused this change, though in 2004, a team from the University of Pennsylvania discovered a gene called MYH16. Mutations in this gene result in shorter jaws, which may have allowed the brain to expand [source: Wilford]. Regardless, this change reduced the space available for teeth in the mouth.

As our heads and jaws evolved, cultural shifts were also underway. Around the same time, humans began creating the first tools, including cooking utensils (which were, of course, designed by primitive versions of Food Network hosts). With larger brains, humans discovered fire and its ability to soften food. Over time, human diets became more processed; compared to the raw roots and meat our ancestors consumed, we might as well be eating strained applesauce. Today, we wouldn't necessarily need any teeth to survive, though dining out would be a dull experience. Regardless, we've significantly reduced our reliance on the third molar.

Critics of evolution emphasize the dietary changes and improved dental hygiene in reducing our dependence on wisdom teeth, while downplaying the influence of evolving jaws and brains. However, when you compare a prehistoric jaw to a modern one, it's clear that the space is much smaller. Can evolution explain this shift? And, if our evolutionary history has decreased the need for wisdom teeth and made conditions unfavorable for third molars, will we eventually lose them altogether?

Are wisdom teeth becoming obsolete?

For many, it may feel like our wisdom teeth didn't get the message that our evolved jaws no longer have enough room. However, some people never develop wisdom teeth at all; in fact, about 35 percent of people are born without them [source: Spinney]. Could we be on the path to losing them completely?

Some experts suggest that it's possible wisdom teeth will eventually vanish [sources: Flam, Usbourne]. But there are still several unknowns. Scientists aren't entirely sure how much DNA influences the development of teeth in the third molar position [source: Colf]. Unlike other teeth, third molars develop after birth, making them the only teeth to do so. Since they don't appear at birth, it could be more challenging for nature to eliminate them [source: LePage]. For wisdom teeth to form, the tissue responsible for tooth development must move toward the back of the mouth to interact with the jaw tissue. If this migration doesn’t happen, no tooth will develop in that spot.

Environmental factors, such as disease or head trauma, could also play a role in preventing the tissue from migrating properly [source: Silvestri, Singh]. Additionally, cultural differences in jaw usage may be at play. For instance, in the 1970s, researchers linked the larger jaw size found in Eskimo women to their practice of chewing leather to soften it. In parts of East Asia, it's more common to find people with fewer or no wisdom teeth at all [source: Vines]. If a cultural group no longer uses a certain trait, they may eventually lose it.

Some researchers are exploring ways to stop the appearance of wisdom teeth altogether, with the aim to potentially bioengineer them out of existence before natural evolution does so. Given that there is a period when third molars don’t develop, scientists think it may be possible to use a laser or chemical treatment to prevent the growth of these teeth. Early trials in dogs and rats have shown promising results [source: Silvestri, Singh].

At present, the absence of wisdom teeth doesn't provide a significant evolutionary benefit, especially considering the number of oral surgeons available to remove any that do appear. It’s difficult to predict how this trait might evolve in the future. Oral surgeons, however, are likely hoping that these teeth continue to emerge for a while longer. Meanwhile, those without wisdom teeth will cope with plenty of ice cream and endless tales of surgery experiences. Sure, those without wisdom teeth might claim they’re more evolved because they avoid the discomfort, but what do they chat about at dull parties?