Why do we have wisdom teeth? If wisdom teeth erupt into their proper positions, they can provide support in the back of your mouth and preserve bone in your jaw.

Anthropologists believe wisdom teeth, or the third set of molars, serve to help chew food in the adult, in humans and in apes and monkeys, who all have wisdom teeth too, in their diet of harder to chew food – like fresh fruit, leaves, roots, nuts and meats.

For example, molars help chew food, while wisdom teeth help clean the mouth. Without these teeth, people would have a harder time eating and are more prone to cavities. Wisdom teeth can also help remove debris from the tongue and gums.

The third molars, or wisdom teeth, are vestiges from our evolutionary past when the human mouth was larger and could accommodate more teeth. They were useful in chewing especially coarse foods, such as roots, nuts, leaves, and tough meats.

Humans have wisdom teeth because our ancestors needed them. Early humans didn't cook and weren't able to cut their food with knives. Because their teeth were the only tools they had for breaking down tough, uncooked foods, they needed a broader jaw containing extra molars. Wisdom teeth gave them the power to chew a broader variety of raw foods.