From my personal experience, I believe complicated wisdom teeth come with wisdom. My lower set of wisdom teeth began to orient themselves abnormally during my teens causing the gums around the wisdom to get swollen. Painful episodes of gum pain, termed pericoronitis, caused me to stay up at night in my dormitory. The pain was so unbearable that I found it wise to visit a dentist rather than use herbal concoctions and off-the-counter medications. As I lay under the dental surgeon’s tools and slowly coming out of the local anaesthesia, I wondered to myself: Where did these teeth come from?

Having your wisdom teeth removed is a common right-of-passage for most Ghanaian teens and young adults, but what exactly are wisdom teeth and why do they so often cause so much “wahala”(trouble)? A wisdom tooth, also known as the third molar, is one of the three molars per quadrant of the human dentition and it is the most posterior of the three molars. The wisdom tooth usually erupts into the mouth between the late teens and early twenties, specifically between the ages of 17 and 24 years.

Like all apes, human ancestors had a line-up of 32 permanent teeth: 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars, mirrored on both sides of our upper and lower jaws. Today, humans may or may not develop the last tooth(3^rd molar). Several million years ago, our hominin ancestors had humongous back teeth(posterior teeth). Australopith species, like the Lucy fossil, had molars with chewing surfaces about twice the area of ours today. Since the era of Australopiths, the dental size has been on the decline in the human lineage.

Conventional wisdom about wisdom teeth according to anthropologists(experts in the study of humans, early hominids and primates) show that wisdom teeth were very helpful for our prehistoric ancestors who needed serious chewing power to grind through nuts, rough plants, seeds and foliage which made up the bulk of their diets. As teeth wore down or fell out, wisdom teeth could provide a much-needed replacement. Currently, we have softer diets filled with carbohydrates and high-calorie foods. Industrialization of food production has really softened our meals. So the idea is that processed diets reduce the stress on our jaws necessary to induce full growth during adolescence. By the time we are approaching adulthood, there may not be enough space to accommodate our final molars(wisdom teeth). Hard food during childhood seems to stimulate jaw growth, allowing the mouth to grow large enough for the molars. Soft food does not require enough chewing to maximize jaw growth potential.

Throughout childhood, our permanent teeth emerge from the gums in a gradual sequential manner, starting with the first permanent molar and incisors between ages 6 to 9 years. By our early teens, most teeth are in place except the wisdom teeth(third molars). If there is not adequate space in the jaws, the wisdom teeth become impacted, meaning they are unable to penetrate the gums properly. Partially erupted or impacted wisdom teeth can give bacteria a place to enter the gums and create a place for an infection to occur. This can lead to pain, swelling, and stiffness in the jaw. Food debris trapped between the mispositioned wisdom tooth and its adjacent tooth can cause tooth decay leading to its extraction. Before making any decisions about your painful wisdom tooth, kindly see your dentist and he or she will examine your mouth, take a radiograph (x-ray), and together, you and your dentist can discuss the best course of treatment.

In conclusion, based on studies, it is unclear which dietary changes (domestication or industrialization, tool use, cooking) triggered our wisdom teeth issues. However, their cumulative effect is certain: Today, people eat considerably softer foods than our ancestors did, and our mouths are not growing to their full potential. Be sure to brush and floss around your wisdom teeth and visit your dentist every 6 months to allow your dentist to evaluate your wisdom teeth and overall dental health.

Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and running water and avoid touching your face during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the absence of soap, kindly use a sanitizer which contains at least 60% alcohol. Stay safe. We need you alive. Stay connected to the vine. Stay gorgeous and stay professional.

Credit:

Dr Michael Awua-Mensah

(@Dr_Awua on Instagram)

A member of the Ghana Dental Association.