Professional Documents
Culture Documents
break up his food with his hands... the jaw and brow ridge
vestiges of human but not today) and used as evidence to support human
evolution from a hypothetical less evolved primate
ancestor4-8 The following discussion in a once-widely used
evolution? biology textbook is typical of this view:
'The "wisdom teeth," or last molars, are in man
approaching a vestigial condition, since they
generally do not appear until relatively late, between
Jerry Bergman
the ages of twenty and thirty years, and in many
persons are never cut at all. In a large percentage
of individuals, they are useless, and they often
Evolutionists have taught that humans evolved from become impacted and have to be removed
ape-like ancestors that possessed larger jaws and surgically. '9
teeth than we do. In the process of evolution the The vestigial organ view was also found in the
jaw has become smaller, allowing less room for the medical text books of this generation:
third molars and causing numerous dental 'It is a well known fact that nature tries to
problems. Our better understanding of the complex eliminate that which is not used... Likewise,
teeth-jaw relationship has revealed this explanation civilization, which has eliminated the human need
is far too simplistic. Research now indicates that for large, powerful jaws, has decreased the size of
the reasons for most third molar problems today our maxillae and mandibles. As a direct result, in a
are not due to evolutionary changes but other surprisingly large number of adults, the lower third
reasons. These reasons include a change from a molar occupies an abnormal position and may be
coarse abrasive diet to a soft western diet, lack of considered a vestigial organ without purpose and
proper dental care, and genetic factors possibly function. This has been termed the phylogenic
including mutations. Common past dental practice theory. It implies that, because throughout the
was a tendency to routinely remove wisdom teeth. history of man the jaws decreased in size from a
Recent empirical research has concluded that this lack of function, some present-day adults do not have
practice is unwise. Third molars in general should room for a full complement of teeth, and the third
be left alone unless a problem develops and then molar, being the last to erupt, is denied room to
they should be treated as any other teeth. At times accommodate itself...'10
removal is required, but appropriate efforts to deal The loss of an organ in evolution purely as a result
with problem teeth should be implemented before of disuse, also called Lamarckian Evolution, has now been
resorting to their extraction. thoroughly disproved. The belief that wisdom teeth are
vestigial organs that lack a function in the body (as was
previously believed for the appendix), is less common to-
day but still evident. It is also commonly assumed by the
Introduction general public.
The putative problem is that humans today have smaller
A major conclusion of evolution is that the human jaw jaws but just as many teeth as their evolutionary anteced-
has shrunk from its much larger ape size to the smaller ents.11-13 The result is the common assumption that most
modern human size as humans evolved. In short, evolution humans do not have enough room in their mouth for wis-
has produced 'an increase in brain size at the expense of dom teeth which lack a function and only cause us much
jaw size'. 1 In the process, the jaw has became too small health trouble.14 This view was evidently first widely pro-
for the last teeth to erupt which are normally the third pounded by Darwin, who concluded:
molars, often called wisdom teeth. This view is usually '...the posterior molar or wisdom-teeth were
explained as follows tending to become rudimentary in the more civilized
'...our ancestors had larger jaws, so there was races of man. ... They do not cut through the gums
room in the human mouth for 32 permanent teeth, till about the seventeenth year, and I have been
including third molars wisdom teeth. But now assured that they are much more liable to decay,
our jaws are smaller. The result: There's no longer and are earlier lost than the other teeth; but this is
room in most of our mouths to house 32 teeth. So denied by some eminent dentists. They are also
the last teeth we develop our wisdom teeth much more liable to vary, both in structure and in
often become impacted, or blocked from erupting. '2 the period of their development, than the other teeth.
9. Rogers, J.S., Hubbell, T. and Byers, C, 1942. Man and the Biological 38. Singh, Lee, and Ayoub, Ref. 26.
World, McGraw-Hill, New York, p. 313. 39. Southard, Ref. 37.
10. Durbeck, W.E., 1943. The Impacted lower Third Molar, Dental Pub. 40. Tulloch, J.F. , Eng, R.C.S. and Wilkes, J., 1987. Decision analysis in
Inc., Brooklyn, New York: the evaluation of clinical strategies for the management of mandibular
11. Haugen, L.K., 1981. The evolutionary background for problems with third molars. Journal of Dental Education, 51(11):652-660.
wisdom teeth. Tidsskrift for Tandlaeger, 1(3). 41. Leff, Ref. 25, p. 85.
12. Sakai, T., 1981. Human evolution and wisdom teeth. Dental Outlook, 42. Little, R.M., Riedel, R.A. and Artun, J., 1988. An evaluation of changes
58(4):615-623. in mandibular anterior alignment 10 to 20 years post retention.
13. Zhang, Y.Z., 1982. Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction syndrome American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics,
in human evolution. Chinese Journal of Primatology, 17(3): 173-176. 93:423-8.
14. Schissel, M.J., 1970. Dentistry and its Victims, St. Martin's Press, 43. Cuozzo, J., 1998. What happens to the craniofacial structure of humans
New York, pp. 50, 170. who live past 100 years? Neanderthal similarities. In: Proceedings of
the Fourth International Conference on Creationism, Pittsburgh,
15. Darwin, C, 1896. The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Pennsylvania, pp. 103-120.
Sex. D. Appleton and Company, New York, p. 20.
44. Southard, Ref. 37, p. 76.
16. Henschen, F., 1966. The Human Skull, Frederick A. Praeger, New
York. 45. Southard, Ref. 37, p. 79.
17. Macho, G.A. and Moggi-Cecchi, J., 1992. Reduction of maxillary 46. Samsudin, A.R. and Mason, A.D., 1994. Symptoms from impacted
molars in Homo sapiens sapiens; a different perspective. American wisdom teeth. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Journal of Physical Anthropology, 87(2): 151 -159. 32(6):380-383.
18. Macho and Moggi-Cecchi, Ref. 17, p. 156. 47. Robinson and Vasir, Ref. 36.
19. Corruccini, R., 1991. Anthropological aspects of orofacial and occlusal 48. Henschen, Ref. 16.
variations and anomalies. In: Advances in Dental Anthropology, 49. Mills, J.R.E., 1963. Occlusion and malocclusion of the teeth of the
Chapter 17. Kelley, M.A. and Larson, C.S. (eds), Wiley-Liss, New primates. In: Dental Anthropology, Brothwell, D.R. (ed.), Pergaman
York, p. 308. Press, Oxford, UK.
20. Taylor, M.S., 1982. Aberrant maxillary third molars; morphology 50. Durbeck, Ref. 10. pp. 4-5.
and developmental relations. In: Kurten (ed.), Ref. 5, pp. 64-74. 51. Barrett, M.J., 1957. Dental observations on Australian Aborigines:
21. Bergman, J. and Howe, G., 1990. "Vestigial Organs" Are Fully tooth eruption sequence. Australian Dental Journal, 2:217-227.
Functional, Terre Haute, Creation Research Society Books, Indiana. 52. Davis, W., 1998. Dean and Chair of the Department of Oral Biology,
22. Macho and Moggi-Cecchi, Ref. 17, p. 151. Medical College of Ohio. Interview.
67. Tulloch, J.F., Antczak, A. and Ung, N., 1990. Evaluation of the costs 103. Kallay, J., 1963. A radiographic study of the Neanderthal teeth from
and relative effectiveness of alternative strategies for the removal of Krapina. In: Dental Anthropology, D.R. Brothwell (ed.), Pergaman
Press, Oxford, UK.
mandibular third molars. International Journal of Technology
Assessment in Health Care, 6:505-515. 104. Calcagno and Gibson, Ref. 87.
68. Robinson and Vasir, Ref. 36. 105. Sofaer, J, Bailit, H. and MacLean, C, 1971. A developmental basis
69. Song, F. et al., 1997. Prophylactic removal of impacted third molars: for differential tooth reduction during hominoid evolution. Evolution,
an assessment of published reviews. British Dental Journal, 25:509-517.
182(9):339-346. 106. MacGregor, Ref. l,p. 3.
70. Samsudin and Mason, Ref. 46. 107. Mills, Ref. 49, p. 46.
71. Brickley, M.R., Prytherch, I. M., Kay, E.J. and Shepherd, J.P., 1995. 108. Clinch, L.M., 1951. The occlusion of the Australian Aborigines.
A new method of assessment of clinical teaching: ROC analysis. Transactions of the European Orthodontists Society, 80.
Medical Education, 29:150-153. 109. Corruccini, Ref. 19, p. 295.
72. Daily, Ref. 66, p. 315. 110. MacGregor, Ref. 1, p. 16.
73. Tulloch, Eng and Wilkes,Ref. 40. 111. Sofaer, Bailit and MacLean, Ref. 105, p. 509.
74. Tulloch, Antczak and Wilkes, Ref. 28. 112. Corruccini, Ref. 19, p. 308.
75. Tulloch, Antczak and Ung, Ref. 67. 113. Butler, Ref. 7, p. 1.
76. Blakeslee, S., 1991. Study questions routine molar removal. (Alexia
Antczak and Joan Tulloch report). The New York Times, June 26, p.
C9, Col. 1.
77. Tulloch, Antczak and Ung, Ref. 67, p. 504.
78. Worrall, S.F., Riden, K., Haskell, R. and Corrigan, A.M., 1998. UK
National Third Molar Project: the initial report. British Journal of
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 36(1): 14-18.
79. Capuzzi, P., Montebugnoli, L. and Vaccaro, M., 1994. Extraction of
Jerry Bergman has seven degrees, including in biology,
third molars. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, 77(4):341- psychology, and evaluation and research, from Wayne State
343. University (Detroit), Bowling Green State University and
80. Leonard, Ref. 23, p. 82. other colleges. He has taught at Bowling Green State
81. Leff, Ref. 25, p. 85. University (Ohio) and at the University of Toledo. He is
82. Marshall, Berry and Brewer, Ref. 65. now a professor of science at Northwest College, Archbold
83. MacGregor, Ref. 1. (Ohio), and is working on a third Ph.D., this one in
84. Leff, Ref. 25, p. 85. molecular biology.
85. Leff, Ref. 25, p. 85.
86. Leff, Ref. 25, p. 84.