Wisdom Teeth Don’t Make You Smarter
Why don’t I have those teeth?
Interesting Facts in Easy English
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- molar: large teeth at the back of one’s mouth (top and bottom)
- emerge: to appear; to come up from the surface
- impacted: wedged below or between something (e.g., stuck between the jawbone and another tooth)
- processed: mechanically changed or developed
- evolution: the gradual development of people or things over a long period of time
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Wisdom Teeth Don’t Make You Smarter
Comprehension Questions
- Why are the third molars known as “wisdom teeth”?
- Why don’t some people get wisdom teeth?
- Why does this report mention processed food?
Discussion Questions: Wisdom teeth contain stem cells. Do you think dental patients who have their wisdom teeth extracted should be given the option to preserve these teeth for the future? Would you be willing to pay for the long-term storage?
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Wisdom Teeth Don’t Make You Smarter
Do you have a third set of molars? In English, these molars are called your “wisdom teeth”. If you don’t have them,
don’t worry! About 35% of people don’t have wisdom teeth. Their wisdom teeth may be impacted or they may not exist at all. The
expression “wisdom teeth” comes from the age people usually are when these teeth
emerge. The age between 17-25 is sometimes referred to as “the age of wisdom”. The emerging of the third molars has nothing to do with your brain capacity, however. Wisdom teeth emerge when a person’s dental arch
becomes large enough to hold more teeth. Some people never develop a large enough space in their mouths. Others only get one wisdom tooth. Many people have wisdom teeth removed due to pain or crowding. Evolution may also play a part in why some people don’t get wisdom teeth. With
forks and knives and processed food, humans don’t need as many teeth.
- The third molars are known as “wisdom teeth” because they typically emerge during the “age of wisdom” when a person is between the ages of 17-25.
- Some people don’t get wisdom teeth because their dental arch isn’t large enough to fit more teeth.
- The report mentions processed food because it may have something to do with humans not needing an extra set of molars. Humans are evolving.
