At a Glance
- Service: Same-day emergency dentistry, including toothache relief, broken-tooth repair, swelling and infection care, and extractions
- Serving: Brick Township, including Greenbriar, Laurelton, and the Route 70 corridor, from the Toms River office about 10 minutes south
- 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, including same-day emergencies with no existing chart required
- Differentiator: Two women dentists who hold same-day time for emergency patients and take as long as needed to find the source of your pain
When you are scared to call, call anyway
Fear keeps people in pain. You feel a tooth throbbing on a Sunday, or a molar cracks on a bite of something hard, and the first instinct is often to wait: wait to see if it settles, wait because you dread the drill, wait because you are not sure it counts as an emergency. Waiting is the one thing that reliably makes dental problems worse, because teeth do not heal on their own.
If you are in Brick and searching for an emergency dentist, the office at 222 Oak Avenue in Toms River holds same-day time for exactly this. You do not need to be an existing patient. You do not need to have your story straight. You call, describe what you feel, and the team fits you in that day. The doctors take as long as needed to find the source of the pain, explain what they see, and give you treatment choices rather than a rushed verdict.
The pain you should never sit on
Some dental pain is urgent in a way that goes beyond discomfort. A toothache usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected, often from a cavity, a fracture, or an old filling that has failed. Treated early, it is frequently a straightforward fix. Left alone, it can turn into an infection that needs a root canal or an extraction.
Swelling is the sign to stop waiting entirely. Facial or gum swelling paired with pain usually points to infection, and because of how the head and neck are built, an infection there can spread into spaces that threaten more than your tooth. If you notice swelling, a bad taste, pus, or a fever alongside dental pain, treat it as urgent and call the same day. A broken tooth deserves fast attention too, both because a sharp edge can cut your tongue and because a fracture reaching the nerve lets bacteria straight in.
Is your situation actually an emergency?
Not every ache needs a same-day chair, and part of good emergency care is telling you honestly which is which. Call right away for severe or worsening toothache, swelling in the face or gums, a knocked-out or badly broken tooth, bleeding that will not stop, or a lost filling or crown that leaves a tooth sharp or sensitive. A knocked-out permanent tooth in particular is time-sensitive; keep it moist and get seen as fast as possible.
Milder issues, like a small chip with no pain or mild sensitivity to cold, can often wait a day or two for a regular appointment. If you are unsure, call and describe it. The team would rather help you judge it over the phone than have you sit at home guessing while something gets worse. This honest triage is part of why anxious patients come back: no one talks you into treatment you do not need.
Meet your emergency dentists
Two dentists lead the practice, and both are women who built the office around calm, honest, patient-led care. Dr. Monica Patel and Dr. Rakhee Patel personally see emergency patients rather than handing them to rotating associates.
Dr. Monica Patel was born and raised in New Jersey and earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, following a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers and a Master's in Biomedical Sciences. She completed a general practice residency at Stony Brook Dental School, where she handled hospital-based dentistry, surgical extractions, root canals, and implant placement. She is surgically trained in implant placement and periodontal treatment using minimally invasive techniques.
Dr. Rakhee Patel was born and raised in Texas and graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin before earning her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, where she was named Best Dental Student of the Year. Her general practice residency at Lutheran Medical Center gave her hands-on experience in root canals, oral surgery, and emergency dentistry. She has practiced since 2012 and holds advanced training in occlusal therapy and full-mouth rehabilitation from the Pankey Institute. Her residency training in emergency dentistry and root canals is exactly the background you want in the chair when you are in pain. Both doctors are members of the American Dental Association and the New Jersey Dental Association.
What actually happens at an emergency visit
Knowing the steps takes some of the fear out of the call. When you arrive, the doctors focus first on getting you comfortable and finding the cause. A targeted exam and digital X-rays show what is happening inside and below the tooth, which is where most emergency pain originates. From there, you get a plain-language explanation of the problem and a choice of treatment options, not a single take-it-or-leave-it plan.
Depending on the cause, same-visit treatment might mean addressing a deep cavity, starting root canal treatment to remove infected nerve tissue, smoothing or rebuilding a broken tooth, or, when a tooth cannot be saved, removing it. The goal of the first visit is to stop the pain and stabilize the problem. For nervous patients, that pace matters: the doctors move only as fast as you are comfortable with, and sedation options are available for longer procedures.
Getting here fast from Brick
From central Brick, take Route 70 east toward Toms River, then merge onto Hooper Avenue heading south. Stay on Hooper past the Ocean County Mall and toward downtown Toms River, then turn onto Oak Avenue. The office is at 222 Oak Avenue, Suite 8, with parking on site so you are not circling the block while in pain.
From the Greenbriar or Laurelton side of town, pick up Hooper Avenue directly and follow it south the whole way. The trip runs about 10 minutes and roughly 6 miles. Brick is the largest town in the area, so local emergency slots fill fast; the short drive south often means being seen sooner than waiting for an opening closer to home.
Why waiting costs more than acting
There is a financial side to acting fast, and it favors calling early. A cavity caught while it is small is usually a simple filling. The same cavity ignored until the nerve is infected can become a root canal and a crown, which costs far more and takes more visits. An infection that spreads can turn a routine problem into an urgent one.
The practice accepts most major dental insurance plans and files them for you, and financing is available for treatment insurance does not fully cover. For patients without coverage, the team explains costs before any work begins, so you are never guessing about the bill while you are already worried about the pain. After the emergency is handled, the doctors will talk with you about preventive care, because relying on emergency visits alone is the hardest and most expensive way to keep your teeth.
The most common emergencies we treat
Most calls fall into a handful of categories, and knowing them helps you describe your problem clearly. Toothaches top the list, usually from a cavity, fracture, or infection reaching the nerve inside the tooth. Broken teeth come next, either from biting something hard or from an older filling giving way. A tooth that breaks easily can signal eroded enamel or a failing restoration underneath, so the break is often a symptom of a larger problem.
Swelling and infection are the calls the doctors most want to see early, because an untreated infection can spread beyond the mouth. Jaw pain and headaches sometimes trace back to the temporomandibular joint rather than a single tooth, and the doctors can evaluate that too. Whatever the category, the first step is the same: find the true source, explain it, and give you options.
Click on a link below to learn more about our other General & Preventive Dentistry services
Brick emergency dental questions
I have a dental emergency in Brick after hours. What should I do right now?
A: Call the office at (732) 518-3088 and follow the instructions for urgent care. During office hours the team holds same-day time for emergencies. For severe swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, or trauma from an accident, go to the nearest emergency room first, then follow up with the dental office for the tooth itself.
Do I need to be an existing patient to get a same-day emergency appointment from Brick?
A: No. The office sees new emergency patients and does not require an existing chart. Call, describe your symptoms, and the team will fit you in that day when possible. From most of Brick the drive is about 10 minutes south via Route 70.
Will my PPO insurance cover an emergency visit here?
A: The practice accepts most major PPO dental plans and files the claim for you, and the insurance coordinator works to maximize your benefits. Coverage for specific emergency procedures depends on your plan, so the team reviews the estimate with you before treatment starts. Financing is available for anything your plan does not cover.
My child knocked out a tooth playing in Brick. Is that an emergency?
A: A knocked-out permanent tooth is time-sensitive, so call immediately. Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root, keep it moist in milk or saliva, and get to the office as fast as you can. A knocked-out baby tooth is usually not replanted, but you should still call so the doctors can check for other injury.
How fast can a toothache actually be treated once I get there?
A: The first visit focuses on finding the cause and stopping the pain the same day. After an exam and X-rays, the doctors often begin treatment immediately, such as addressing a deep cavity, starting a root canal, or removing a tooth that cannot be saved. You leave with the pain addressed and a clear plan for any follow-up.
Dentistry with a Woman's Touch
222 Oak Ave # 8, Toms River, NJ 08753
(732) 518-3088
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**