No. 133 - Wisdom Teeth

I heard someone call into the Alex Jones show today and say that humans have the ability to grow new teeth if the old ones fall out, but that fluoride prohibits that from happening. Alex put the caller in his place, telling him that the information he provided was not true, but that people have three sets of teeth, with the wisdom teeth being the third set.

I learned that, more precisely, wisdom teeth are the third set of molars. The first set of molars usually appear between the ages of 6 and 7 and the second set between the ages of 11 and 13. The wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most, but not all, people get in their late teens or early twenties. 

It is believed that thousands of years ago, the human jaw was much larger and could accommodate these extra molars, which were useful to chew the course, rough foods that were available at that time.