From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Wisdom teeth are third molars that usually appear between the ages of 18 and 20 (although they may appear when older). Since that is considered to be the age when people become wiser, third molars gained the nickname, "wisdom teeth." Often they need to be removed when they are impacted against other teeth, and they are sometimes described as an example of a "vestigial" trait that may be disappearing from our species via evolution. Alternately, it is possible that wisdom teeth were useful when it was common for humans to have lost several teeth to decay by the age when they appear.
