Dental anxiety can make necessary treatment difficult to start, and for some people it has kept them away for years. A workable plan begins with understanding what specifically causes the anxiety, what treatment is actually needed, and whether adjusting how appointments run, staging treatment differently, or sedation should be part of the approach. Nobody at Apple Dental Specialists will make you feel foolish for finding this hard.
Dental anxiety is common enough that no clinician is surprised by it, and telling us is the single most useful thing you can do — far more useful than getting through the appointment without mentioning it. It changes practical things: how much we explain before we start, how long we book, whether we take a break, how we handle the parts you find hardest. Patients often assume they have to manage it privately and arrive braced for an ordeal. There is nothing to be gained from that. Write it in the medical history form, or say it at the door, or email ahead if saying it in person is the difficult part.
Anxiety is rarely about dentistry in general; it is usually about something specific. A painful experience years ago, often in childhood. Needles. The sound or vibration of the drill. Gagging, or the fear of it. Lying back and not being able to speak or see what is happening. The sensation of numbness itself. For a great many people it is not the treatment at all but embarrassment about the state of their teeth and the expectation of being judged for it. Each of these has a different practical answer, which is why it helps to know which one is yours rather than treating anxiety as one undifferentiated thing.
A first visit can be a conversation with nothing done at all — no instruments, no reclining, just a discussion of what you want and what would make it manageable. Beyond that: an agreed signal that stops treatment immediately and is always honoured; explaining each step before it happens, or deliberately not explaining if detail makes it worse; topical numbing gel before any injection; shorter appointments that tackle one thing at a time; first appointment of the day so there is no waiting-room build-up; headphones and your own music. None of this is unusual or a special accommodation. It is how the appointment should run for someone who finds it difficult.
Sedation is one tool among several, not the automatic answer. Many people who expect to need it find that the adjustments above are enough, particularly once the first appointment is behind them. Where anxiety is severe, where a long surgical appointment is needed, or where previous attempts at treatment have not been possible, oral sedation or IV sedation with a specialist anesthesiologist can be arranged. Sedation is assessed and quoted on its own terms, and it comes with real practical requirements — fasting, an escort home, the rest of the day written off — so it is worth deciding deliberately rather than by default.
If it has been five, ten or twenty years, you are not the first person through the door in that position this month, and the condition of your teeth is information rather than a verdict on you. The usual approach is to find out what is actually there — examination and imaging, nothing more — and then set out the whole picture with what is urgent, what can wait and what it would cost, so you can decide the pace. Treatment is usually sequenced to deal with anything painful or infected first, then work through the rest in an order that suits you. You are allowed to take that slowly.
What specifically worries you, what has happened at previous appointments, whether there is anything that helps, and how much detail you want about what is being done. Say it on the medical history form, at the front desk, or by email beforehand — whichever is easiest.
A first appointment can be entirely a discussion — no instruments, no chair reclined, no decisions made on the spot. For many people that is the step that makes the rest possible.
All prices in CAD · starting prices
If sedation is needed
All prices are starting prices and may vary depending on case complexity, treatment requirements, materials and other clinical factors. Final treatment costs are confirmed following consultation and treatment planning. Prices effective September 2026.
The first appointment is an examination and a conversation. It does not commit you to treatment, and you will not be asked to decide anything in the chair. Whatever is needed afterwards is set out in writing, with costs, so you can take it away and think about it.
Consultation and examination are priced from the current BC general dentist fee guide. Imaging, where it is needed to see what is actually going on, is quoted with it.
Rather than a figure on the day, you get a written plan showing what is urgent, what can wait and what each stage costs — which is usually the part people most want to know before they commit.
Oral sedation is priced from the fee guide. IV sedation with a specialist anesthesiologist is quoted separately and assessed on its own before it is agreed.
Some plans contribute towards sedation where it is provided alongside a covered surgical procedure, and many do not cover it at all. We can provide a written treatment plan with procedure codes so you can check your own coverage before deciding, and patient financing is available.
Oral Surgery and Implants
Dr. Ali Mehdi brings over 15 years of experience in oral and implant surgery, with a focus on advanced implant dentistry and complex full-mouth rehabilitation. From routine oral surgery to advanced bone grafting and full-arch implant treatment, his approach combines surgical experience, digital technology, and individualized care.
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BDS, EDA, DABOI, MSc, Cert. Prostho, PhD
Board-Certified Specialist in Prosthodontics in Canada and Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology, with extensive experience in prosthodontics and implant dentistry.
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General Dentist │ MSc in Periodontics
General dentist with a Master of Science in Periodontics, prior Assistant Professor experience and clinical interests in periodontal treatment, implants and family dentistry.
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Dentist
Dentist with a Master's degree completed in Australia, focused on ethical, personalized care and helping patients make informed decisions about treatment.
View ProfileNo. People arrive in that position regularly, and the condition of your teeth is information for planning rather than a verdict on you. The first appointment establishes what is there and what the options are, at a pace you set.
Yes. A first visit can be a conversation with no instruments and no treatment — for many anxious patients that is the step that makes everything afterwards possible.
You agree a signal before treatment starts, and it is honoured immediately. Knowing that stopping is available is, for most people, the reason they do not need to use it.
Topical numbing gel is applied before any injection, the injection is given slowly, and you can choose not to see it. Where needle fear is the central issue, sedation can be arranged so that the local anaesthetic is given after the sedation has taken effect.
No. Sedation is one option among several, and many patients find that shorter appointments, a stop signal and knowing what is coming are enough. It is a deliberate decision with real practical requirements, not a default.
Tell us in advance what specifically worries you, book the first slot of the day so there is no waiting, bring headphones and your own music, and bring someone with you if that helps. Eat beforehand unless sedation is planned, in which case follow the fasting instructions given to you.
As much or as little as you want. Some people are calmer with a running commentary, and others find detail makes it worse. Tell us which you are and it will be followed.
Consultation and examination are priced from the current BC general dentist fee guide, with imaging quoted alongside where it is needed. Anything required after that is set out in a written plan with costs before you commit to it.
Patients travel to us from White Rock, South Surrey, Surrey, Langley, Delta and across the Fraser Valley, often because sedation is not offered where they usually go. Our team also speaks Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
Book an appointment at Apple Dental Specialists in White Rock and say that you find dental treatment difficult. The first visit can be a discussion, the pace is yours, and nothing is decided in the chair.