Listen or Read Dr. Bielkie’s Monthly Podcast Interview!
Topic – Wisdom Teeth – To Pull or Not to Pull
Below you will find an easy to read transcript of Dr. Anthony Bielkie’s interview on the razorcast™ monthly podcast. You can click the video to listen to the podcast or simply read the easy to follow transcript below. Enjoy!
Podcast Interview:
RC: Hello everyone, this is Liz Harvey coming to you from our razorcast™ studios in New York City where we are dedicated to bringing you top quality advice from many of the leading expert professionals across the United States.
In today’s episode we are speaking with Dr. Anthony Bielkie. Dr. Bielkie is the founder of Stoneridge Dental with locations in Shelby Township and St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Dr. Bielkie received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1991 and received the prestigious Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry in 2000. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Michigan Dental Association, the Macomb Dental Society and a Board Member of the Academy of General Dentistry. He is certified in Lumineers, Invisalign and Clear Correct and has over two decades of experience serving patients of all ages.
Dr. Bielkie is widely considered to be one of the top dentists in the country and he is also a contributing member of our national network of industry professionals.
Today we are going to talk about a very important topic: Wisdom Teeth – To Pull or Not to Pull
RC: Hi Dr. Bielkie, how are you today?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: I’m doing great Liz. How are you today?
RC: I’m great. Thanks so much for being here with us.
Question 1: How do wisdom teeth get their name?
RC: So how do wisdom teeth get their name?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: Well wisdom teeth are actually the third molars and that’s the last set of teeth we generally get in the mouth and they usually erupt somewhere between seventeen and twenty-five and this is the age at which men and women become adults and so that’s how it got synonymous with the word wisdom.
Question 2: What are some reasons that wisdom teeth have to get pulled?
RC: And what are some reasons that wisdom teeth have to get pulled?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: Frequently pain. So if the tooth is coming incorrectly, if it’s biting into the side of the jaw, if people are getting repeated infections or if there’s tooth decay, frequently it’s recommended that the wisdom teeth are removed.
Question 3: Why is it better to remove wisdom teeth in younger adults than older adults?
RC: And why is it better to remove wisdom teeth in younger adults than older adults?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: That’s a great question and so frequently in our office, we’ll discuss with patients, “But my wisdom teeth don’t hurt yet, why should they be removed?” And it really depends on a case specific. And so, we need to take proper radiographs and discuss if it looks like the position of the tooth is going to cause a problem to another tooth or is causing a problem, the sooner we get it out the better. When a tooth is partially impacted, people think, “Oh I’ll wait until it comes in, it will be easier.” But actually, the root gets larger and it can complicate the procedure and the older we get, the blood supply is not as good. We find that the younger we take these out, once it’s deemed necessary, the quicker most people seem to heal.
Question 4: Do some people keep their wisdom teeth forever?
RC: And do some people keep their wisdom teeth forever?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: Absolutely. There are a number of people that have enough room and so we don’t just take wisdom teeth out to take them out. There’s always a risk and a benefit and so the important thing is that you find somebody, an expert in the field, and let them give you their opinion and discuss why they recommend what they want to do.
Question 5: Is there a risk for future problems if people keep their wisdom teeth?
RC: Alright and is there a risk for future problems if people keep their wisdom teeth?
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: Absolutely. So again first, we want to determine if we think it’s recommended to have the wisdom teeth out and if there are reasons it should be taken out at that time. If at that time, the wisdom teeth are doing okay, frequently we’ll monitor them. What does that mean? That means that when you come in for your regular cleanings, it’s checked and sometimes those reasons can change. Repeated infections, again, signs of decay or the position of the tooth has moved – where now the potential risk of removing it is less than the benefit you’ll get from getting it out. So even if we determine at one time that a dentist said that your wisdom teeth you get to keep them, we may periodically change that opinion after we collect new information.
RC: Alright well thank you so much Dr. Bielkie. We know you are extremely busy so we just want to thank you for your time and help today.
Dr. Anthony Bielkie: Great. It was great being here.
And for our listeners across the country, if you are interested in speaking with Dr. Anthony Bielkie, you can either go online to www.StoneRidgeDental.com or call 586-739-6400 to schedule an appointment.
On behalf of our entire team at razorcast™, we want to thank you for listening and we look forward to bringing you more top quality content from our country’s leading industry professionals.
Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.
