Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Early human ancestors had larger jaws to accommodate a diet of raw roots, leaves, nuts, and uncooked meat, all of which required extensive chewing. A third set of molars provided extra grinding surface. As cooking softened food and human jaws became smaller over hundreds of thousands of years, these teeth became unnecessary. Today, many people lack room for wisdom teeth, causing impaction and pain. About 35% of the global population never develops wisdom teeth at all, a trend that appears to be increasing.