There are approximately 10,000,000 wisdom teeth removed each year. Why is that?
During times of hunting and gathering, jaw bones were long and narrow. In the present day, our jaws have transformed to be both shorter and wider. It is believed that the jaws found in our ancestors were better suited to grind and decompose hard food items. In today’s world, we heavily rely on agriculture and farming which creates a softer diet. Over time, the jaw has conformed to the physical needs of a new diet.
This theory was researched when Von Cramon-Taubadel studied skull specimens from 11 populations around the world. Five of the groups lived off hunting and gathering while the remaining six groups relied on a farming lifestyle. It is through this quest of understanding evolution that supported the interactions between culture, farming, and the effects on our evolving anatomy.
Our modern day noggins are now crowded, leading to the misalignment of our teeth, and often the need to remove wisdom teeth. Since jaws of modern societies are now shorter, they “are not big enough to accommodate the size of our teeth,” Von Cramon-Taubadel said. Periodontal Associates is not surprised that there are an estimated 5 million Americans with braces trying to straighten, align teeth, and fight against the natural progression of crowding.
Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman have to, at times, extract teeth due to this crowding, but a more prominent problem treated at Periodontal Associates caused by orthodontics is gum recession. When teeth are moved too quickly, the gums can retract and gum grafts are needed to prevent sensitivity and tooth loss.
If you are fighting gum disease or an un-even, painful smile, Dr. Ken Versman, Dr. Doug Heller, and Dr. Eric Beckman can help you. You can’t fight evolution, so click here to schedule an exam or call (303) 755-4500 to answer all your questions. Remember, gum disease is a sneaky disease as often people do not realize they have it until it reaches a severe state. At that point, it can result in tooth loss, bone loss, and the need for dental implants. Don’t let gum disease sneak up on you. Visit Periodontal Associates in Aurora today.
