Dear Lucy, 

Cats like me don’t have wisdom teeth. So, imagine my surprise to learn some of my human buddies get extra chompers. 

I asked my friend David Carsten about it. He studied biochemistry at Washington State University. Now he’s a dentist who teaches about dental sedation and anesthesia at Oregon Health & Science University. 

Dr. Carsten told me that humans can get three sets of permanent molars. Molars are the big grinding teeth in the back of your mouth. The third set—also called wisdom teeth—usually come in when you’re between 17 and 21 years old. If you get them at all. 

Wisdom … » More …