Ask The Dentist Blog

Question: As a kid up till I was out of university I saw the dentist and hygienist faithfully. Mom insisted we all go regularly. Even in university, Mom made sure, when we got home from school, we saw the dentist. I had great teeth. Once I was off the plan and on my own it wasn’t a priority. I was just too busy for my teeth. One day as I was home visiting, Mom asked, “how long has it been since you’ve seen the dentist?” It had been five years. I had started smoking on the j

Question: Dr. Crapo:  I was born about the time fluoride toothpaste hit Canada – late fifties, early sixties. When the T.V. ads hit the air, we couldn’t believe you’d go to the dentist and only have one cavity. Finally, it was the in thing by the time I was ten to make the switch to a fluoride toothpaste. By that time, I’d had teeth pulled because of decay and abscessing. Fortunately, they were only baby teeth, so when my permanents came in, I resolved to take better care. We

Question: This is embarrassing and disastrous. I’ve never been good with my teeth. Even as a kid I was terrified. As an adult I always...

Question: I have prided myself on reaching my fifties with all my teeth except one wisdom tooth. I’ll explain in a minute. Up through my...

Question: I lost my wife several years ago and things are not the same. I don’t make decisions well without her. I tend to leave...

Question:   I’ve smoked cigarettes since I was a teenager. It’s hard to quit because I enjoy smoking and perhaps it helps me cope with...

Question:   I have always been concerned with cracks in my teeth. Over many years of seeing my dentist, I’ve asked him about the cracks...

Question: Well, here I am, an older retired senior with “gas in the tank,” a great wife, and a set of teeth so bucked out I could eat a...

Question: Four weeks ago, I was eating and my upper front bridge just snapped and fell out. It was the third bridge I had. Thirty-five...

Question: About eight years ago I had problems with my front teeth and they had to come out. I had to wait till my gums healed to get a...

Question: My mom is not a complainer but recently she told me of her challenge with her upper denture not staying in. She’s hard on her...

Question: I have strong teeth, well the remaining ones seem strong. They’re only in the front so when I smile it’s a horsey grin because...

Question: I’m from Poland. Two years ago, I moved to Canada. Last week I went to the dentist because a filling fell out. I also have...

Question: I grew up in a remote village in Northern Alberta. Few amenities were available to us and because we were a large family, there...

Question: I am in a good time of my life. Family raised and now I have time for myself. One of the things I have put off over my adult...

Question: I’m the oldest of a family of four. All of us kids have health issues, so we watch out for one another. We’re close, but I’ve...

Question: Dr. Crapo: About ten years ago I had dentures made and I hated them because the lower wouldn’t stay put and I couldn’t taste...

Q: Dr. Crapo: I am writing because I’m in pain, I don’t know where to turn and I’m frightened about my future. I’m middle aged, in what...

Q: Dr. Crapo: Twenty years ago I had a nice bridge and many crowns done to fix my teeth and my smile. Everything has been just fine...

Q: I have tried to keep my oral health under control all my life. I still have all my teeth but they are almost all filled with fillings...

Question: Dear Dr. Crapo: A year ago I had to have a tooth pulled. I’m a big guy and I’ve been told I have a very strong bite. For the...

Q: Two days ago I went to see my dentist for a checkup and cleaning. I’ve needed an implant but have been putting it off. The hygienist...

Q: Dr. Crapo: I’ve had good teeth all my life. Despite that I’ve noticed my lower front teeth seem shorter. I’ve had fillings in three...

Q: I am very frustrated about my teeth. I am first generation here in Canada so it may be hard to ask what I want and even then to know...

Q:   I have worn an upper denture for most of my adult life. I have most of my lower teeth, thank goodness. My husband has gone through...

Question: Dr.Crapo: I’m a twenty-eight year old student. I have two teeth that are black, one of which is broken off. I can see dark...

Q: Yesterday I saw my dentist for a regular check-up . The hygienist saw me first and said everything looked good. I was happy because I...

Q: Dr.Crapo:  About ten years ago, I learned about veneers. I liked the looks of them very much and as I had a lot of old white fillings...

Question: Dr. Crapo: I had a frightening and frustrating experience on my holiday this past summer. On the second day of my trip, I was...

Q: Life is really three steps forward and two steps back. Try as I might I can’t seem to get my teeth fixed and they stay fixed. Over the...

Q: I am deathly afraid of dentists. I have always had trouble with cavities since I was a child. As an adult I’ve had tons and tons of...

Q: Dr. Crapo: Many years ago (thirty-five plus), I had extensive bridgework. I lost my right eye teeth and the one beside it towards the...

Q: I’m in a state. My life has had all kinds of ups and downs. It seems that I go from emergency to emergency, putting out fires. It’s a...

Q: I’ve had trouble with my teeth all my life. I’ve had big fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions. I never seem to be able to...

Q: I’m not a dumb guy. I have many skills in many fields. That’s a good thing and a bad. Good because I see things that, in my field of...

Q: Dr. Crapo: I am from Mexico. My husband and I moved to Canada forty years ago. We had a family and made a life here. My husband was a...

Question: Dear Dr. Crapo: I’m a forty-five year old man with an upper partial denture that’s been there for fifteen years. I lost my...

Q:I’m terrified going to the dentist because of a nightmare surgery. My eye teeth were sideways – fangs under my lips. My front teeth...

Q: Dr. Crapo: My mother had a trauma to the head fifteen years ago. Since then her speech has deteriorated to a state that she only can...

Q: Dr. Crapo: I’m a hard working forty year old who owns his own construction business. I’ve been in construction since I was a...

Q: Dr. Crapo: About ten years ago I gave up on my teeth. They were crooked and full of fillings and every time I went to the dentist he’d...

Q: I’m nearing my eighth decade. I’ve cared for my teeth in the best manner I could but at this point I find myself at a crossroads. I...

Question: Dear Dr. Crapo: I’m eighty years old and I just broke a tooth, at least that’s what I thought, so I went to the dentist. It was...

Q: Dr. Crapo:    Nine years ago, I decided I wanted a better set of teeth. I had an upper denture and seven lower teeth with a partial. I...

Q: Many years ago, I had a lot of dental work done. It has served me well, but about two years ago I was hit while driving on the side...

Q: About eight years ago I had problems with my front teeth and they had to come out. I had to wait till my gums healed to get a partial...

Q: This is a hard letter/confession to vocalize. During the Covid time with all its precautions and warnings, I was affected more that I...

Q: Two years ago, I came to the realization that my teeth, my lower teeth wouldn’t make it through much more indecision. They were...

Q: I have worn an upper denture for most of my adult life. I have most of my lower teeth, thank goodness. My husband has gone through...

Q: When I was twenty-five, I was told that my back teeth were soft. I was told they would never hold a filling, so my best bet would be...