I came across this article about vestigial body parts today and it struck a chord with me. I just reviewed an old patient who has been working deep in the Kalimantan forest for the past year. Before he left, we checked his oral condition thoroughly and did everything that needed to be done before he embarked on his new job in the jungle. Once inside, access to medical care is an 8-hour road trip. While his oral condition was fine the past year, he told me that he had a perforated appendix which needed emergency care. He endured the road trip and made it to hospital in time but it was a most harrowing experience. The wisdom tooth, like the appendix, is also a vestigial organ and is fully capable of causing an emergency that needed evacuation.
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