“why are wisdom teeth called wisdom teeth” is a question i think most have entered into their google search bar at some point or other before getting their wisdom teeth removed (note the lack of question mark punctuation at the end of this question, no one has time for that)
answers appear as follows:
1. Today’s Dental: because they don’t appear until someone reaches young adulthood, a stage associated with increased wisdom
2. Wikipedia: because they appear so late – much later than other teeth, at an age where people are presumably “wiser” than as a child
3. Caring Smile Family Dentistry: because they are the last teeth to appear when people are supposedly wiser
4. etc. i’ll save you from the redundancy of my google search results.
it’s funny, actually, i think. funny because this answer is so ironic it’s laughable.
i know less at nineteen than i ever did at nine.
as i sit, back against the stiff foam of the dental chair, cold metal in my mouth, blood on my tongue, i can’t help but think of all i don’t know, ears ringing with the echo of cracking enamel.
if wisdom teeth are meant to symbolize a coming of age, bury me in its glory. i don’t know enough to object. tell me, is it supposed to hurt?
growing pains. holes where my teeth used to be. funny, isn’t it? roots, roots, roots being pulled.
i know less at nineteen than i ever did at nine.
