Towards Healthy Bites and Bugs!http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/en-US2010-02-09T07:55:44ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)WHAT IS A ROOT CANAL?http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/11/15/what-is-a-root-canal.html[Your Name Here]2008-11-15T15:47:33ZImagine a "ball point pen".  There is an ink cartridge inside the pen one can remove leaving the pen hollow.  Now, fill in this hollow space with a rubber-like filling material and you have just root canaled a ball-point-pen.  Our roots of our teeth extend into the bone supporting our teeth.  These roots have a canal inside similar to the ink cartridge in the pen.  When we do a root canal, the contents in the "canal" ( consists of the nerve and blood vessel supplying our teeth with nutrition and sensations) are removed just as one would remove the ink cartridge.  After cleaning out the canal, we fill it back up with a rubber like filling which seals the canal.

The "roots" are not removed as many people think.. Only the inside of the root is cleaned out so the root into the bone is unchanged and still supports the tooth.  This is the benefit of a root canal......A tooth can be saved and still function normally following a root canal.

The only option to a root canal is to have the tooth extracted hence, the beauty of a root canal.

]]>Dental health can save your life.http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/10/10/dental-health-can-save-your-life.html[Your Name Here]2008-10-10T15:47:02Zhealth heart disease periodontal disease]]>IF NOT, WHY NOT?http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/10/10/if-not-why-not.html[Your Name Here]2008-10-10T15:29:02ZHave you hugged your dentist today?  If not, why not? 

Have you flossed today?  If not, why not?

Have you seen your dentist within the last 6 months?  If not, why not?

Have you brushed your child's ( 5 years or younger) teeth today?  If not, why not?

]]>Oral Cancer Examhttp://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/8/27/oral-cancer-exam.html[Your Name Here]2008-08-27T00:46:07ZHave you ever wondered what is the dentist doing when he/she grabs your tounge and pulls it out and looks???  Oral cancer can form anywhere in your mouth including the lateral borders of the tongue.  Cancer can be overlooked when the side of the tongue is the location.  By pulling the tongue out to the side, the dentist can see where cancer is easily hidden.  This cancer, if cought early, can be treated.  If caught late, treatments are much less effective.

Every single time you see your hygienist or dentist for an exam, this simple and life saving look-see exam needs to be done.  Ask for it if it is not done.  It could save your life.

]]>About the "force" or mechanics of dental diseasehttp://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/7/11/about-the-force-or-mechanics-of-dental-disease.html[Your Name Here]2008-07-11T00:04:33ZWhat is plaque?http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/7/7/what-is-plaque.html[Your Name Here]2008-07-07T23:35:33ZOur mouths are full of bacteria.  These bacteria are part of our "makeup" if you will.  When we have lunch, we put food in our mouth, chew it up, swallow it, digest it  and go to the bathroom.  At the same time we are eating this food, the bacteria living in our mouth are having lunch as well.  The bacteria chew up the food, swallow it, digest it  and also go to the bathroom.  Their bathroom is what we call the plaque.  So the plaque is the bacterial poo-poo that is forming on our teeth.  The plaque can only be physically removed from our teeth.  The bristles of our tooth brush or the floss, toothpick, etc. must mechanically rub away the plaque.  We cannot rinse, gargle, swish or water pick away the plaque.  The plaque is also very sticky and will not easily come off of the tooth.  Time is critical to adequately remove the plaque.  The timers on electric brushes are usually 2 minutes.  Two minutes might be enough time to do the top teeth and then another two to do the bottom teeth.  I personally think even more time is necessary.  Just remember to be a "lover" and not a "fighter" with the tooth brush.


]]>The two causes of dental disease.http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/7/7/the-two-causes-of-dental-disease.html[Your Name Here]2008-07-07T23:25:10ZThere only two causes of dental disease.  Plaque (bacteria) and force (mechanics).  Plaque is what we all hear so much about when we are told to brush and floss daily.  The plaque is living bacteria that is part of the inflammation process occuring which causes decay and gum disease (periodontitis or gingivitis).  The mechanical aspect is the force we create when we bite together.  Genetics is not a "cause" of disease but it will allow the other two to be more harmful if our genetic makeup, dentally speaking, is not too good.  We can control two of the three, plaque and the force.  By taking control of these two, our genetics plays less of a role.  It is when the plaque and force are not controlled that a bad genetic makeup really adds up, ie., 1 + 1 = 5!  Because we cannot tell from one person to another what kind of a genetic makeup they have, it behooves us to control the two causes so we are not at our genetic makeup's mercy.

]]>What causes dental disease?http://www.drmilesbcollett.com/blog/2008/6/27/what-causes-dental-disease.html[Your Name Here]2008-06-27T16:39:46Zcauses of dental problemsBacteria and mechanics.

]]>