I am curious, why does it hurt so much more to get a wisdom tooth removed than a regular tooth?

May or may not be: If it's a fully erupted wisdom tooth, it will be the same as any other tooth. If it is impacted this varies greatly depending upon the angle of the tooth, the development of the roots, whether or not bone needs to be removed or the tooth sectioned, and the skill of the surgeon, not to mention your own pain threshold. Basically it is a much more difficult procedure in most cases.

Depends: Depends on the tooth. Most increased pain due to impacted wisdom teeth, have to make incision and remove bone. For best results, see a board certified oral & maxillofacial surgeon for exam/treatment.