Fact Check: Can Wisdom Teeth Removal Rob You of Your Potential?

A post on Instagram makes several claims against wisdom teeth removal. These claims are FALSE.

Claim:

In the Instagram post, the user thewarriorcenter made several claims and stated that pain from erupting wisdom teeth is intentional and serves a purpose by helping to rewire the brain and create new pathways. The adrenaline released during the pain is described as a hidden gift from God, contributing to this process. The claim also connects wisdom teeth to important parts of the body, such as the pineal gland, central nervous system, heart, and intestines, suggesting that they play a significant role in overall health. It argues that wisdom teeth are called "wisdom teeth" for a reason, implying they are tied to a person's potential, and that removing them disrupts an important nerve pathway from the brain, thereby diminishing this potential.

The post has 71,861 likes and can be accessed here.

Along with the claims above the user also claims that "wisdom teeth that grow sideways get straightened out over time" and whose fact check is available for viewing at this link.

Fact Check:

The claims made in the post are False. The belief that wisdom teeth are connected to the brain, heart, pineal gland, and intestines, or that their removal robs you of your potential is entirely false and misleading. Wisdom teeth are simply molars, and their removal affects only the nerve and blood supply specific to the tooth being extracted. This has no impact on the broader nervous system or vital organs. Pain from wisdom teeth is a natural response to anatomical changes, not a process to rewire the brain. While oral infections can be linked to systemic conditions like infective endocarditis, wisdom teeth themselves hold no special significance related to potential or cognitive abilities.

Let's look at the claims made in the post one by one.

Is the pain from erupting wisdom teeth (Third Molars) intentionally designed to rewire the brain and create new pathways?

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

Pain is a vital physiological function that has evolved to alert the individual to the presence of noxious stimuli, minimising the risk of tissue damage and protecting against ongoing tissue injury. 

Multiple factors play a role in causing radiating pain during the eruption of wisdom teeth (third molars). Anatomical limitations, including restricted space, irregular angulation, and impaction against neighbouring teeth or bone, exert mechanical pressure on sensitive tissues. The natural inflammatory response to the eruption process further exacerbates the discomfort. Pain signals are transmitted by nerves, particularly the trigeminal nerve, which can become irritated or compressed due to these anatomical changes and inflammation. This complex interaction of physical pressure, inflammation, and nerve involvement leads to the experience of radiating pain.

Thus, the pain response is present from the start as a natural physiological process with its own established pathway, and the pain from erupting wisdom teeth does not create new pathways or rewire the brain.

Is Adrenaline From The Pain Actually a Hidden Gift?

No its not. 

Adrenaline also known as epinephrine, is a hormone produced by the brain substance of the adrenal glands. Adrenaline plays a special role in the adaptation mechanism of the body to stressful circumstances (that is "struggle or flight" or "fight or flight"). It is a sympathomimetic catecholamine that increases blood clotting time, as well as the number of red blood cells and the level of haemoglobin and blood protein. The number of eosinophils under the influence of adrenaline decreases, probably due to increased cortisol secretion.

Acting on the liver and pancreas, adrenaline causes hyperglycemia. In the liver, it enhances glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Adrenaline and to a lesser extent noradrenaline enhance lipolysis in adipose tissue, raising plasma fatty acid levels. It also increases the strength and speed of the heartbeat, the frequency and depth of breathing, causes a cast of blood from the skin and digestive system and flushes to the heart and muscles, and also increases the amount of energy by increased breathing.

Synthetic adrenaline is used in some cases as a medicine, especially when removing patients from a state of shock or after cardiac arrest.

Pain signals that reach the brain from any injury in the peripheral nervous system activate three releasing hormones in the hypothalamus and these are corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), gonadal-releasing hormone (GRH), and thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH). These three hormones, in turn, cause the anterior pituitary to release into serum adrenal corticotropin hormone (ACTH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The end organs for stimulation are the adrenals, gonads, and thyroid, which release into the serum hormones necessary for pain control including cortisol, pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) because of ACTH stimulation adrenalin and other catecholamines are also released from the adrenal medulla. Serum levels of the pituitary and end-organ hormones noted here serve as biomarkers for uncontrolled pain. 

The release of adrenaline due to pain is more of a consequence, as adrenaline is released to help the body cope with the stress and anxiety associated with pain. However, enduring pain simply to stimulate adrenaline production is largely pointless and serves no meaningful purpose. Hence the claim that adrenaline from the pain is a hidden gift is Misleading.

The Medical dialogues fact check team spoke with Dr Jesu K Joseph, MDS, Prosthodontist, Lecturer, Sanjay Rungta Group of Institutions, Bhilai, C.G, and he explained that "Adrenaline, produced by adrenal glands, plays a key role in the body's response to pain by increasing heart rate, blood flow, and energy availability. However, enduring pain just to trigger adrenaline is not beneficial. Unmanaged pain can lead to chronic stress and increased sensitivity to pain. Effective pain management should prioritize addressing the root cause rather than relying on the temporary effects of adrenaline."

Are These Four Wisdom Teeth Intimately Connected to the Pineal Gland, Central Nervous System, Heart, and Intestines?

Not Exactly 

The pineal gland, also known as the epiphysis cerebri is an endocrine gland located in the posterior aspect of the cranial fossa in the brain. Its importance is in the circadian cycle of sleep and wakefulness. The main function of the pineal gland is to receive and convey information about the current light-dark cycle from the environment via the production and secretion of melatonin cyclically at night (dark period).

A study published in the Oncotarget reveals that pinealectomy followed by melatonin suppression may induce higher oral cancer occurrence and progression in a preclinical model. However, no other scientific evidence has been found linking the pineal gland to wisdom teeth. 

The nerve supply of wisdom teeth (third molars) is through the maxillary(V2) and mandibular branch(V3) of the fifth cranial nerve which is the trigeminal nerve(V). The trigeminal nerve is a part of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which consists of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord. These nerves form the communication network between the CNS(Central Nervous System) and the body parts. This highlights that every part of the body is connected to the Central Nervous System either directly or indirectly.

The heart is a muscular organ situated in the centre of the chest behind the sternum. It consists of four chambers: the two upper chambers are called the right and left atria, and the two lower chambers are called the right and left ventricles. While wisdom teeth are not directly connected to the heart, there is a condition known as infective endocarditis that can occur due to oral infections involving the teeth and surrounding tissues. 

Infective endocarditis is a rare but usually severe and often fatal inflammatory disease affecting the endocardial surface, native and prosthetic valves or cardiac devices. Besides various staphylococcus species, oral viridans streptococci are known to play a crucial role in the development of endocarditis, especially in patients with underlying cardiac conditions, such as valve replacement, congenital heart disease and a history of previous infective endocarditis. Odontogenic infections are associated with pathogenic microorganisms, gingival or mucosal trauma(that is dental procedures such as tooth extractions, periodontal and apical surgery, removal of caries affecting cervical or subgingival portions of the tooth) or the manipulation of the periapical region of the tooth(that is endodontic treatment) may cause a transient bacteremia of these microorganisms that, in a patient at risk, can cause infective endocarditis.

The intestine (bowel) is a winding muscular tube extending from the stomach to the anus. Its main purpose is to digest food. But the intestine is not only there for digestion: It also produces various hormones that carry messages to other parts of the body, and plays an important role in fighting germs and regulating water entering and leaving the body. The small intestine, which is directly connected to the stomach, is three to five meters long from one end to the other. It is made up of three sections known as the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. In the right lower belly, the small intestine leads into the large intestine, which is roughly 1 to 1.5 meters long. The large intestine is made up of the cecum, the appendix, the colon and the rectum, which ends at the anus in the anal canal.

A study published in JCI Insight has found that early periodontitis may be linked to more severe clinical symptoms in some patients with Crohn's Disease (CD). However, there is no direct connection between wisdom teeth and intestines.

Will Removing Wisdom Teeth Rob You of Your Potential?

Not at all. This is false 

Wisdom teeth or third molars (M3s) are the last, most posteriorly placed permanent teeth to erupt. They usually erupt into the mouth right around adulthood, between 17 and 25 years of age. 

Because they usually appear around adulthood, when people are presumed to reach be wiser and more mature, and not doing childhood, these third molars are also called, wisdom teeth in colloquial terms. The term comes from the Latin dens sapientiae, which means "tooth of wisdom". However, this is the only significance behind the name, and it is unrelated to a person's capability or potential.

Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars are the final teeth to emerge and have a high probability of becoming impacted. Consequently, their surgical removal is the most common form of dentoalveolar surgery. In 1979, the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference identified several indications for extracting impacted wisdom teeth, including infection, nonrestorable cavities, cysts, tumours, and damage to surrounding teeth and bone.

Does Removing Wisdom Teeth Cut an Incredibly Important Nerve Pathway From the Brain?

No, removing wisdom teeth does not cut an incredibly important nerve pathway from the brain.

Wisdom teeth or third molars are innervated by the maxillary and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve( that is cranial nerve V). When wisdom teeth are extracted due to infection or other reasons, they become separated from their nerve and blood supply, just like any other tooth during extraction. However, removing wisdom teeth does not affect the overall nerve supply of the jaw or other teeth and does not cause any issues.

Figure: Nerve Supply of Maxillary and Mandibular Teeth (Trigeminal Nerve Supply)

The nerve detachment is limited to the extracted tooth, which serves no purpose after removal, and has no general impact. Hence, the claim that removing wisdom teeth cuts an incredibly important nerve pathway from the brain is Misleading.

Dr. Akash Kumar Swarnkar, Dr Swarnkar’s Dental clinic, Bhilai, Durg (C.G.), told Medical Dialogues, "When a wisdom tooth is removed, the nerve supplying that tooth is also detached, but this is nothing to worry about. The nerve is only connected to the specific tooth being extracted, which means it has no significant purpose once the tooth is gone. This process is completely normal and happens with every tooth extraction, not just with wisdom teeth. It’s important to note that this doesn’t affect the nerve supply to the rest of your jaw or any other teeth, so there’s no need to be concerned about broader nerve damage or long-term issues.It has nothing to do with the brain "

 Medical Dialogues Final Take

 The claims surrounding wisdom teeth and their supposed connections to the brain, heart, pineal gland, and intestines are largely unfounded. Wisdom teeth, like other teeth, are supplied by the trigeminal nerve, and their removal only affects the specific tooth's nerve and blood supply, without a broader impact. While pain from wisdom teeth is a natural response to anatomical changes, it doesn't rewire the brain or create new pathways. Moreover, oral infections can be associated with systemic conditions like infective endocarditis, but wisdom teeth themselves hold no special physiological or neurological significance beyond their role in dental health. Hence the claims made in the video including that Wisdom Teeth Removal Rob You of Your Potential are False.