We are often asked why we have wisdom teeth if they often need to be removed? The third molars, affectionately called “wisdom teeth”, are the last set of teeth to grow. They were given that name based on the phrase “with age comes wisdom”, since they erupt around 17 and 21 years old. We actually don’t really need this third set of teeth anymore, which is why they cause issues and need to be removed. Why do we have them in the first place?