Sedation dentistry allows appropriate patients to have treatment with greater comfort and less anxiety than they would otherwise manage. The right option depends on the procedure, your medical history, the level of anxiety involved and how deep the sedation actually needs to be. At Apple Dental Specialists, IV sedation is delivered by a specialist anesthesiologist whose only role during the appointment is your sedation and monitoring.
Sedation and anaesthetic are two different things, and confusing them is the most common reason patients end up disappointed. Local anaesthetic is what stops you feeling the procedure; it is used whether or not you are sedated. Sedation changes how you experience the appointment around that — it reduces anxiety, makes time pass differently, and with deeper sedation leaves you with little or no memory of it. It does not replace numbing, and it is not general anaesthetic: you remain breathing for yourself and responsive, even if you do not recall being so afterwards. Knowing this in advance tends to make the whole experience less unsettling than being told on the day.
Local anaesthetic alone is sufficient for most routine treatment and for many extractions; you are fully alert and can drive yourself home. Oral sedation involves medication taken before the appointment, which takes the edge off anxiety while leaving you awake and able to respond; it is predictable but cannot be adjusted once it has been taken, and you will need someone to drive you. IV sedation is administered through a vein by a specialist anesthesiologist, takes effect within minutes, and can be titrated up or down during the appointment to match what is happening. Most patients remember little of the procedure. It is the option chosen for longer surgery and for anxiety that oral sedation will not cover.
Sedation is a separate clinical decision from the treatment itself, with its own assessment and its own consent. We review your full medical history, every medication and supplement you take, previous experiences with sedation or anaesthetic, whether you have sleep apnoea or significant respiratory or cardiac conditions, and whether you are or may be pregnant. Some conditions make one option safer than another; occasionally they indicate that treatment is better carried out in a hospital setting, and we will say so rather than proceed. You will also be told the practical requirements in advance — fasting, an escort home, and the day off — because these are the details that cause appointments to be cancelled on arrival.
For IV sedation the anesthesiologist meets you before anything begins, confirms your history, places a small cannula, and attaches monitoring for your oxygen levels, heart rate and blood pressure, which continues throughout. Sedation is then started and adjusted as the appointment proceeds. The treating dentist works on the treatment while the anesthesiologist attends to you, which is the practical advantage of having two clinicians rather than one person doing both. Local anaesthetic is still given, usually once sedation has taken effect, so that you do not feel the procedure itself. From your side, the appointment tends to feel considerably shorter than it was.
After oral or IV sedation you will be kept until you are steady, and you must be collected by a responsible adult who can stay with you. You cannot drive, ride a bicycle, operate machinery, sign anything legally binding or drink alcohol for the rest of the day, and you should plan to do nothing much. Grogginess, a little unsteadiness and patchy memory of the afternoon are normal. Aftercare for the treatment itself — the extraction or surgery — runs alongside this, and your escort is given those instructions in writing too, because people who have been sedated reliably do not remember being told them.
Longer surgical appointments, removal of impacted wisdom teeth, implant placement and grafting, full-arch treatment, a strong gag reflex, difficulty staying comfortable in the chair, significant dental anxiety, and treatment that has been repeatedly postponed because of fear.
Sedation is assessed separately from treatment, so you can discuss it before committing to anything — including the possibility that you do not need it.
All prices in CAD · starting prices
Other options
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.
Sedation is quoted separately from the treatment it accompanies, so you see two figures rather than one blended number. The IV sedation fee covers the anesthesiologist's assessment, the sedation itself and monitoring throughout the appointment.
Sedation is charged for the time it is provided. A single extraction and a full-arch surgical appointment are very different lengths, and the quote reflects the planned duration.
Oral sedation and IV sedation are different procedures with different costs. Which one suits your case is a clinical decision made at assessment, not a menu choice.
Some histories require additional review, or investigations, before sedation can be approved. Where that applies it is explained to you before anything is booked.
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 ProfileIV sedation with a specialist anesthesiologist starts at $800. Oral sedation is priced from the current BC general dentist fee guide and depends on the procedure. Sedation is always quoted separately from the treatment it accompanies, and confirmed before the appointment.
Sedation is not general anaesthetic. You remain breathing for yourself and able to respond, although with IV sedation most patients remember little or nothing of the procedure afterwards. Treatment that genuinely requires general anaesthetic is referred to a hospital setting.
Oral sedation is medication taken before the appointment: predictable, but fixed once taken. IV sedation is given through a vein by a specialist anesthesiologist, works within minutes and can be adjusted up or down during treatment. IV sedation is the option used for longer surgery and for anxiety that oral sedation will not cover.
Yes. Local anaesthetic is what stops you feeling the procedure, and it is given whether or not you are sedated — usually once the sedation has taken effect, so you are unlikely to be aware of it.
Sedation is assessed individually, with its own consent, and IV sedation is delivered by a specialist anesthesiologist with continuous monitoring of oxygen levels, heart rate and blood pressure. Certain medical histories make one option safer than another, and occasionally indicate that treatment belongs in a hospital setting, which we will tell you rather than work around.
Not after oral or IV sedation. You will need a responsible adult to collect you and stay with you, and you should not drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol or sign anything legally binding for the rest of the day. After local anaesthetic alone, you can drive as normal.
Usually yes, and the exact instructions depend on the sedation planned and your own medical history. They are given to you in writing in advance, because appointments are otherwise cancelled on arrival.
It is possible where anxiety warrants it, though most routine treatment is comfortably completed with local anaesthetic alone. If fear has been keeping you from ordinary treatment, that is worth discussing on its own terms rather than assumed to need sedation.
Some plans contribute where sedation accompanies 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 confirm your own coverage in advance, and patient financing is available.
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 a consultation at Apple Dental Specialists in White Rock. We will review your medical history, explain which sedation option suits the treatment you need, and confirm both figures in writing before you commit.
