Wisdom teeth

Four years ago, my four wisdom teeth were removed. We all know that they exist, that most people need to have them removed at a certain point in their lives. But, what are they? Why there is no room in our mouths for them?
Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars. They usually appear between the ages of 17 and 21. That is why they are called “wisdom” teeth, since they appear at an age in which we are already young adults. Most of us have the wisdom teeth and, if you are unlucky you may have more than four of them, a case known as supernumerary teeth. In some cases, wisdom teeth may not need to be removed. This is when they are aligned and when there is enough room in the jaw for them to grow in. But, in most cases, there is no room for them and they do not grow properly aligned so they need to be removed.
There are two different theories which attempt to explain this phenomenon of a set of molars for which there is no room in our jaws and that does not grow at a convenient age in our lives. One of these theories claims that in former times, due to the diet, teeth loss was common at an early age. So, wisdom teeth used to grow so as to fill the space left by those teeth that had been lost. They acted as a kind of replacement. The second theory supports the notion that, in the past, human being’s jaws were much larger and as a result they allowed for a larger number of teeth. As our body has developed, nowadays, our jaws are smaller but the number of teeth does not correspond to our actual jaw size. The result is a mouth crammed with teeth that need to be removed as soon as they are visible or tangible.
I do not know about your experience, if you have had your wisdom teeth removed or not, whether you have them or not, or if while reading this you may start thinking that that minor discomfort that you sometimes feel behind your second molars is just your wisdom teeth that are starting to come through. The only thing I know is that lost my wisdom at the dentist’s four years ago!