Wisdom teeth are what we refer to as “third molars.” That is, they’re the third set of molars (back grinding teeth) that someone gets. The first two sets erupt when we’re around 6 and 12 years old, respectively.
Since the third molars don’t erupt until a person is much older – and wiser, or at least we hope – they’re often referred to as “wisdom teeth.” In fact, more people refer to them as wisdom teeth than they do as “third molars.”
In generations past, wisdom teeth served as an extra set of teeth to come in and fill in any room caused by missing or damaged teeth. But today, our preventative oral health techniques are so effective, we usually don’t need wisdom teeth for functional purposes. So, if they try to erupt and there isn’t any room for them, we have to take them out!