Wisdom in Teeth

Why do they call the molars you get in your later teens or early twenties "Wisdom Teeth"?

I find that quite presumptuous as at this time in your life you're just getting used to living on your own. Perhaps they should be called, "getting a little wiser teeth," or, "life sucks, get used to it teeth."

Anyway, I've just had my wisdom teeth pulled and it wasn't as traumatic an experience as it is for most people. I was eating solid food the same day and had only minor discomfort. Thankfully since I waited so long to let them grow in, I didn't need dental surgery - just an extraction.

That also saved big on the cost of the proceedure. The downside is that I was living with a tooth that dug into my cheek for a while - wich occasionally caused discomfort.

I think the wisdom in "Wisdom Teeth" is the lesson that no matter how big you think your problems are, they could be worse. ;)

Here are some excerpts I have found:

"They are generally thought to be called wisdom teeth because they appear so late - much later than the other teeth, at an age where people are supposedly wiser than as a child, when the other teeth erupt." (http://allphilosophy.com/topic/show/2512)

"'wisdom' teeth is a term coined long [ago] when our lifespans were much shorter. It's a coming of age, being the wise one in the clan thing."
(http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061114185542AA04zDo)