Wisdom teeth are the final teeth to come in, usually erupting between 17 and 25 years of age. Wisdom teeth have ancient roots, and the most widely accepted theory behind wisdom teeth shows us that the diet of our distant ancestors has some answers. Early humans ate a much different menu than the soft foods we eat today. Our ancestors ate a diet consisting of roots, raw meat, and tough plants.
To accommodate them chewing food, they developed a third set of molars and more massive jaws to accommodate extra teeth. Today humans have smaller jaws and eat softer foods. However, our genes still produce wisdom teeth that no longer have room to grow.