At a Glance
- Service: General, family, cosmetic, implant, and emergency dentistry
- Serving: Lakewood and Garden State Parkway commuters from our Toms River office
- Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday by appointment
- Accepting new patients: Yes
- Differentiator: Insurance accepted, in-house membership plan, financing, and a $189 new patient special
Care you can actually budget for
Cost is the reason a lot of people in Lakewood delay dental work, so it is worth putting the numbers up front. The practice accepts most major dental insurance plans and files them for you. For patients without coverage, the $189 new patient special includes a comprehensive exam, X-rays, and a healthy mouth cleaning when no periodontal disease is present.
For care that insurance does not cover, the office offers patient financing with monthly payments. There is also an in-house Friends and Family Membership Plan that makes preventive and restorative care more affordable year-round without the annual limits of traditional insurance.
Putting cost first is deliberate, because uncertainty about price is what keeps many people out of the chair until a small problem becomes an emergency. Knowing the entry cost up front, and knowing financing exists for anything larger, lets you plan care instead of bracing for a surprise bill.
Worth the drive from a busy town
Lakewood is one of the fastest-growing towns in the region, and the trip to the office runs about 12 to 15 minutes and roughly 8 miles via Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway. Plenty of Lakewood commuters and families would rather keep their dental care a little farther from home and a little closer to calm.
What brings them back is consistency: the same two doctors, the same minimally invasive approach, visit after visit. If you have felt like a number elsewhere, the drive south buys a practice that remembers you.
Meet the doctors behind your care
When you are weighing the cost of care, it is fair to ask who is providing it. Dr. Monica Patel and Dr. Rakhee Patel keep a wide range of treatment in-house, so a Lakewood patient rarely pays the added cost of being referred elsewhere for routine restorative work.
Dr. Monica earned her DMD from the University of Pennsylvania and is surgically trained in implant placement. Dr. Rakhee earned her DMD from the Arizona School of Dentistry, where she was named Best Dental Student of the Year, and completed advanced aesthetic training. Both pursue continuing education through the Pankey Institute and Spear Education, so the depth of skill stays with the same two doctors visit after visit.
How the membership plan works
For Lakewood families without traditional insurance, the in-house Friends and Family Membership Plan is worth understanding in detail. Unlike insurance, it has no annual maximum and no claim paperwork. You pay a flat membership and receive preventive care plus discounted rates on other treatment, which suits households juggling several people's dental needs on one budget.
It cannot be combined with insurance, so it is built for the uninsured rather than as a supplement. For a fast-growing town where many residents lack employer coverage, it fills a real gap. The math tends to favor it for anyone who keeps up with regular cleanings, since those preventive visits are where the membership earns back its cost over a year.
What your money covers, clinically
A first visit includes an honest exam and a plain-language plan. The doctors tell you what is urgent, what can wait, and what is optional, so you spend on what you actually need rather than a bundle of add-ons. Routine care covers exams, cleanings, fillings, and preventive work for the whole family.
When bigger work comes up, such as implants or restorative treatment, they sequence it so you can budget across visits instead of all at once.
Because the practice keeps a wide range of treatment in-house, a Lakewood patient rarely pays the hidden cost of being referred out for routine restorative work. The same two doctors handle implants, root canals, extractions, and cosmetic work, which keeps both the clinical picture and the billing in one place.
Driving directions from Lakewood
From Lakewood, the fastest route is the Garden State Parkway south to the Toms River exits, then onto Route 9 or Hooper Avenue toward the office. Follow Hooper south and turn onto Oak Avenue; the office is at 222 Oak Avenue, Suite 8, with on-site parking. You can also take Route 9 the whole way if you prefer to skip the Parkway.
The trip runs about 12 to 15 minutes and roughly 8 miles. Because the office sits just off Hooper near the Parkway corridor, it folds into a commute rather than adding a long detour. The Wednesday and Thursday hours until 6 p.m. help if you are driving over after work.
Who sees you, and their training
Spending wisely also means knowing who is doing the work. Dr. Monica Patel trained at the University of Pennsylvania and Stony Brook; Dr. Rakhee Patel trained at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Lutheran Medical Center. Both hold advanced training from the Pankey Institute and Spear Education.
That depth means most of what a Lakewood family needs, from preventive care to implants, stays in-house with the same two doctors rather than scattering across referrals and added costs.
Who benefits most
This practice fits Lakewood patients who want transparency about cost and a care team that stays the same over time. Commuters who pass Toms River on the Parkway find the location convenient. Families managing several people's care under one budget benefit from the membership plan.
Patients who have bounced between offices chasing the lowest sticker price often end up spending more over time through repeated exams and redone work. A stable practice that keeps your full history tends to be the more economical choice across a few years rather than a single visit.
Click on a link below to learn more about our other General & Preventive Dentistry services
Lakewood cost and access questions
I do not have dental insurance. What does a first visit actually cost in Lakewood terms?
A: For uninsured new patients, the $189 special covers a comprehensive exam, X-rays, and a healthy mouth cleaning in the absence of periodontal disease. If you need treatment beyond that, the doctors explain costs before any work begins, and financing is available to spread payments out.
I commute on the Garden State Parkway. Is the office easy to reach without adding a long detour?
A: Yes. The office sits at 222 Oak Avenue off Hooper Avenue in Toms River, a short hop from the Parkway, so it folds into a Lakewood commute rather than adding a major detour. Evening hours on Wednesday and Thursday until 6 p.m. help if you are coming after work.
Does the in-house membership plan make sense for a Lakewood family without employer dental coverage?
A: It can. The Friends and Family Membership Plan has no annual maximum and no claim paperwork: you pay a flat membership and receive preventive care plus discounted rates on other treatment. For Lakewood households without employer coverage juggling several people's care, it often works out more predictable than paying visit by visit. It cannot be combined with insurance.
What happens at a first appointment with two dentists in the practice?
A: Your first visit starts with a conversation about your goals and concerns, followed by a gentle exam and digital X-rays. One of the doctors, Dr. Monica Patel or Dr. Rakhee Patel, reviews the findings with you in plain language and sorts them into what is urgent, what can wait, and what is optional. You leave with a clear plan rather than a pile of recommendations.
I get very anxious at the dentist. How is this practice different?
A: The office was built around anxious and overdue patients, so you will get no lectures and no judgment about time between visits. The doctors move at a pace you set and explain each step before they begin. Sedation options are available if you want a more relaxed experience for longer or more involved treatment.
Dentistry with a Woman's Touch
222 Oak Ave # 8, Toms River, NJ 08753
(732) 518-3088
https://dentistrywomanstouch.com/areas-we-serve/dentist-in-lakewood-nj/
Have a question? We have answers.
New Patient Specials
New Patient Exam & Healthy Mouth Cleaning
$189
No insurance? We offer a $189 Comprehensive New Patient Exam, X-Rays, and a Healthy Mouth Cleaning.
New patients only. Cannot be combined with insurance. Includes a Healthy Mouth Cleaning in the absence of periodontal disease.
No Insurance?
The Dentistry with a Woman's Touch Friends & Family Membership Plan
With our membership plan, you can receive the quality care you need at a discounted price.
Cannot be combined with insurance.
Our Toms River Dental Practice Location
Office Hours:
Monday: 9 am-5 pm
Tuesday: 9 am-5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am-6 pm
Thursday: 10 am-6 pm
Friday: limited clinical hours by appointment only**