Patient Information

Our clinic offers several beneficial features, including:

• Convenient Locations & Hours
• Free Parking
• Comfortable Seating
• TV Entertainment
• Free On-site Parking
• Quick Check-up Appointments
• Multiple Appointment Bookings for Families
• Same-day Appointments
• Short Wait Times

Yes, we have free on-site parking available for all our patients. We are located in the Governor's Market strip mall just off the Okanagan Highway. We are also easily accessible by public transit. 

To book an appointment at Westside Dental Centre, please contact our office during our regular business hours.

To cancel or reschedule an appointment, please call us. Please let us know about any change of plans as soon as you can, so we can offer the space in our schedule to another patient.

In the days before your appointment, you will receive automated phone, text, or email appointment reminders from us. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please call us as soon as possible to let us know.

Dental offices are similar to medical clinics and must adhere to strict regulatory standards in the interest of ensuring the highest level of patient safety and care.

Specialized equipment, sterilization and safety protocols, hiring trained and licensed staff, and ongoing continuing education for the dental team may all factor into the cost of dental care. External lab costs, materials used in treatment, the complexity of the treatment, and practice location can also be among the considerations in determining costs.

Operating costs will vary between dental offices as well as provincially.

Treatment recommendations are developed by the dentist beginning with an examination of the mouth. The dentist will examine the patient, review their health history, and discuss any symptoms or concerns the patient may be experiencing. If your dentist identifies an issue in your mouth, they will discuss this with you along with their treatment recommendations.

Depending on the treatment options presented, further discussions related to materials, the extent of the care required, whether or not laboratory fees factor into care, etc. can influence the estimate. Your dentist can work with you to review treatment alternatives and provide a cost estimate for the treatment plan before proceeding.

Note: A dentist can only provide an estimate. As with any medical-based procedure, treatment planning can change over the course of treatment; this can have an influence on cost.

Dental offices can incur various expenses while we prepare for your dental treatment. It is not uncommon for dental offices to request a deposit prior to treatment to help mitigate these expenses.

The frequency of your dental exam will depend on your unique dental healthcare needs. Many patients visit the dentist every six months. At a minimum, you should visit the dentist at least once per year.

How well you care for your teeth, whether you have any issues that need monitoring and the status of your general health can all influence the required frequency of your exams. The goal is to catch any trouble signs early.

Talk to your dentist about your oral health care needs and the frequency of your dental exam.

The early stages of dental disease do not often have outward symptoms and because dental disease is not reversible, prevention and early detection are extremely important. With routine exams, your dentist can detect early signs of conditions affecting your mouth to stop the progression of the disease and help prevent small problems from becoming larger ones.

Oral health is concerned with the entire mouth. During your dental examination, your dentist will inspect a number of important areas and functions of your mouth to identify and diagnose any problems. Your dentist will also check the condition and fit of any dental prosthesis (i.e., dentures).

The health of your mouth is linked to your whole body. Your dentist can identify early signs of disease in the mouth that could relate to other health issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The dental exam also plays a role in the early detection of oral cancer.

Our team of dentists understands that patients often express concerns about radiation exposure from X-rays. We only perform X-rays when they are necessary. The exposure levels are very low and are considered safe for both children and adults. Despite that, our highly skilled team takes all the necessary precautions to minimize your radiation exposure as much as possible.

A dentist recommends an X-ray to help with cavity detection and to look for oral diseases. An X-ray allows for a view below your gum line and between your teeth (where problems usually occur). X-rays are the most important tool a dentist has to detect dental problems as early as possible.

In order to provide an opinion related to dental care, a dentist must understand all the factors that are influencing a patient’s health. A crucial part of this is an examination of the mouth to identify and diagnose any dental disease.

Dentists recommend that you swap out your toothbrush for a new one every three to four months. Past this point, the bristles on your used toothbrush become less effective and bacteria can start to accumulate more rapidly.

While dentists are committed to delivering the best dental care possible to their patients, dentistry cannot be guaranteed. To guarantee success is considered misleading and is contrary to the College of Dental Surgeons of BC’s Code of Ethics.

Most dental plans cover only a specific percentage of the cost of eligible dental treatment services. The patient is responsible for the remainder along with any costs not covered by the plan.

For example, many standard dental plans will cover 80 percent of basic/preventive dental services, such as dental exams, X-rays, cleanings, fillings and root canals while coverage for other procedures such as crowns, bridges, veneers and dentures may be at 50 percent. Other plans may cover a higher or lower percentage of services. It is rare for any plan to cover 100 percent of every service. You should also be aware that most dental plans have a financial limit.

While your dentist can help you understand your plan coverage they are not experts on your plan. It is your responsibility to know the details of your plan.

The details of your plan are protected by the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). While your dentist can help you understand your plan, they do not know the details of your plan or any changes that may occur.

Employer plan: If your dental plan is part of an employee benefits package, ask your employer and/or human resource manager for a copy of the plan booklet. You should also speak to them about any questions related to your plan and/or any recommendations you may have for changes to your plan.

Individual plan: If you have and/or are purchasing a private dental plan ask the dental plan provider about available plans outlining what they will cover and for what you will be responsible. When choosing a plan look carefully at what you will be required to pay and what treatment will be covered. Ask your dental plan provider for a copy of the plan booklet.

Many plans also post information online. Ensure that you have the correct information to be able to access these details. Also, ensure that you are aware if any changes to your plan might occur prior to any dental appointments and/or treatment.

Dental plans are developed to offset some of the costs of treatment and generally include a selection of coverage; they are not developed based on your unique dental care needs, nor do they cover the full range of dental treatment services available.

Dental plans are selected by the plan purchaser, usually as part of a group benefits plan. Many plans will cover a range of diagnostic (examination) and preventive services (scaling, polishing). Such services are common to all patients and aid in the prevention of dental disease. Bear in mind that these plans may also have limits on the amount or frequency of services and treatment which is not based on what any individual may actually need. Additional treatment services will vary, as will the percentage of coverage patients receive for treatments covered by the plan.

Your dentist’s first obligation is to your health. If you have a health problem in your mouth, your dentist will present treatment options to meet your oral and overall health needs. For this reason, your treatment plan can not be based on your dental plan coverage. Your dentist can help you to get a pre-determination for treatment to understand what costs may be covered by your dental plan.

It is important to make your treatment decisions based on your health care needs, not based on what your dental plan covers. Speak to your dentist about his or her treatment recommendations and cost estimates along with any consequences in delaying or refusing treatment so you can make an informed choice for your health.

Many dental insurance carriers use the British Columbia Dental Association’s (BCDA) suggested fee guide as a reference to determine plan coverage. They choose treatment services and base the percentage of plan coverage on the fees outlined in the guide.

They do not always use the most current guides; in some cases, coverage is based on fees outlined in a previous year’s guide. In addition, dental plan fee schedules may not include all the codes in the current BCDA guide.

Any costs not covered by the plan are the patient’s responsibility. 

Note: Professional dental organizations and dentists are not involved in any aspect of determining dental plan coverage.

There are so many different insurance plans available. Your specific coverage is determined by you and/or your employer and the details are protected by the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). While your dentist may be able to help you understand your plan, they do not know the details of your specific plan.

It is your responsibility to understand what your plan covers. It is important to be aware of any financial limits and changes to your plan.