IV sedation is the deepest sedation option available outside a hospital setting, and it is the one chosen for longer surgical appointments and for anxiety that lighter options will not cover. At Apple Dental Specialists it is administered by a specialist anesthesiologist who attends solely to your sedation and monitoring, after review of the planned treatment and your relevant health information.
Medication is given through a small cannula placed in a vein, usually in the back of the hand or the inside of the elbow. It takes effect within minutes rather than the half-hour or more that oral medication needs, and because it is delivered continuously it can be adjusted upward or downward during the appointment in response to what is actually happening. You remain breathing for yourself and able to respond to instruction throughout — this is conscious sedation, not general anaesthetic — but most patients have little or no memory of the procedure afterwards. That combination, deep comfort with a rapid and controllable onset, is what distinguishes it from the other options.
At Apple Dental Specialists, IV sedation is delivered by a specialist anesthesiologist who does nothing else during your appointment. This is not the universal arrangement in dentistry: in many practices the treating dentist both performs the procedure and manages the sedation. Having a second clinician whose entire attention is your airway, your monitoring and your level of sedation means the dentist is free to concentrate on the surgery, and it means someone is watching you continuously rather than between steps. If you are comparing practices, it is a fair question to ask anywhere you are considering.
IV sedation is consented separately from the dental treatment, and it is approved rather than simply booked. Assessment covers your full medical history, every medication and supplement including anything taken occasionally, previous responses to sedation or general anaesthetic, respiratory and cardiac conditions, diagnosed or suspected sleep apnoea, your airway, and whether you are or could be pregnant. Certain histories make oral sedation the safer option, and some indicate that treatment is better carried out in a hospital setting — where that is the case we will tell you plainly and arrange the referral rather than proceed in the chair.
You arrive having followed the fasting instructions given to you in advance, with a responsible adult who will take you home. The anesthesiologist reviews your history again, places the cannula and attaches monitoring for oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing, which runs continuously from that point. Sedation is started and adjusted as treatment proceeds. Local anaesthetic is given once you are comfortable, so the numbing itself is generally not something you are aware of. At the end, sedation is stopped and you are kept under observation until you are steady enough to leave. Most patients describe the whole appointment as having passed in a few minutes.
You will be groggy, a little unsteady and patchy on the details of the afternoon, all of which is expected. Your escort must stay with you, and you cannot drive, cycle, operate machinery, drink alcohol, take responsibility for children on your own or sign anything legally binding until the following day. Eat lightly at first. The aftercare that matters clinically is for the procedure you had — the extraction, the implant, the graft — and those instructions are given to your escort in writing as well as to you, because people reliably do not remember being told them. Most patients are back to normal the next morning.
Removal of impacted wisdom teeth, multiple extractions in one visit, implant placement, bone grafting and sinus lift procedures, full-arch and All-on-X surgery, treatment for patients with a strong gag reflex, and treatment for patients whose anxiety has prevented care for years.
Sedation is assessed on its own, before any treatment is scheduled. That conversation costs you nothing and settles the question either way.
All prices in CAD · starting prices
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 sedation fee covers the anesthesiologist's pre-operative assessment, the sedation itself, continuous monitoring throughout the appointment and supervision of your recovery. It is quoted separately from the dental treatment, so you see both figures rather than one blended number.
Sedation is provided for the length of the appointment. A single surgical extraction and a full-arch procedure are very different durations, and the quote is based on the planned time rather than an average.
Most assessments are straightforward. Where a medical history requires additional review or investigation before sedation can be approved, that is explained to you before anything is booked.
The dental or surgical procedure is quoted on its own line. Sedation neither includes nor discounts it, and both figures are confirmed in writing together.
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. The figure covers the pre-operative assessment, the sedation, continuous monitoring and recovery supervision, and it is quoted separately from the dental treatment. Longer appointments are quoted accordingly.
No. IV sedation is conscious sedation: you continue breathing for yourself and can respond to instruction. Most patients nonetheless remember little or nothing of the procedure afterwards. Treatment genuinely requiring general anaesthetic is referred to a hospital setting.
A specialist anesthesiologist, whose only role during your appointment is your sedation and monitoring. The treating dentist performs the procedure. In many practices one clinician does both, so it is worth asking wherever you are comparing.
You will be observed until you are steady enough to leave, usually within the hour. Grogginess, unsteadiness and patchy memory of the rest of the day are normal, and most patients feel themselves again the following morning.
Yes. A responsible adult must collect you and stay with you afterwards. You cannot drive, cycle, operate machinery, drink alcohol, be solely responsible for children or sign anything legally binding until the next day. Appointments are postponed where no escort is available.
Usually yes. The exact instructions depend on your medical history and the appointment time, and they are given to you in writing in advance. Arriving without having followed them means the appointment cannot go ahead.
It depends on the severity and on whether it is treated. Sleep apnoea is specifically asked about at assessment because it affects airway management. In some cases oral sedation is the safer option, and in others treatment is better carried out in a hospital setting.
Local anaesthetic is normally given after the sedation has taken effect, so most patients are not aware of it. The cannula for the sedation itself is placed first and is a brief scratch.
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. Sedation is assessed separately from treatment, so you get a clear answer on suitability, the requirements on the day, and both figures in writing before anything is scheduled.
