The 8 Best Emergency Dentists in San Diego
San Diego practices ranked as emergency dentists, from public records and each practice's own published information.
Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry ranks first among San Diego's emergency dentists as of November 2026, with 5.0 stars from 251 Google reviews. Why it leads: offers same-day emergency visits. 8 practices met our criteria: a current California dental license, no discipline on record, and at least 25 public reviews, plus this list's own test.
Quick picks
The 8 emergency dentists, ranked
-
Rank 1Score 68
Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry
Carmel Mountain Ranch · 12125 Alta Carmel Court · Dr. Babak Javidi and 3 more
- 5.0 stars from 251 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Babak Javidi
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Open after 5 PM
- Medi-Cal
- After 5 PM
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 12 / 20
- Experience
- 4 / 5
- Credentials
- 10 / 10
- Access
- 14 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 28 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 2Score 49
Smiles By Design Dentistry of San Diego
Carmel Mountain Ranch · 15373 Innovation Drive #110 · Dr. Dan Javaheri and Dr. Cody Cohen
- 5.0 stars from 215 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Dan Javaheri
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Open after 5 PM
- After 5 PM
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 10 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 3 / 10
- Access
- 9 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 28 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 3Score 47
Relieve Root Canal Specialists (Makadia Dental Corporation)
San Diego 92108 · 2333 Camino Del Rio S · Dr. Ronak Makadia
- 5.0 stars from 417 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Ronak Makadia (DDS)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 16 / 20
- Experience
- 1 / 5
- Credentials
- 6 / 10
- Access
- 2 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 4Score 43
Scripps West Dental
Mira Mesa · 9420 Mira Mesa Blvd Ste D · Dr. James P. Tasto
- 5.0 stars from 444 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. James P. Tasto (DDS)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 17 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 3 / 10
- Access
- 2 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 5Score 41
Rancho Bernardo Dental Arts
Rancho Bernardo · 16810 Bernardo Center Dr. Ste A · Dr. Kam Ghandehari
- 5.0 stars from 77 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Kam Ghandehari (DDS, University of Southern California)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Farsi
- Spanish
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 5 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 3 / 10
- Access
- 10 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 2 / 5
-
Rank 6Score 40
Rancho Bernardo Endodontics
Rancho Bernardo · 16466 Bernardo Center Drive · Dr. Corene J. Poelman and 2 more
- 5.0 stars from 227 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Corene J. Poelman (DDS, University of Southern California)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 10 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 6 / 10
- Access
- 2 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 7Score 37
Lighthouse Dental
Point Loma · 3625 Midway Drive · Dr. Ajay Amin
- 5.0 stars from 221 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Ajay Amin (DDS, UC San Francisco School of Dentistry)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Same-day
- Implants
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 10 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 3 / 10
- Access
- 2 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 0 / 5
-
Rank 8Score 35
Bayside Dentistry
Clairemont · 3737 Moraga Ave # B400 · Dr. Alexandra Hansen
- 5.0 stars from 125 Google reviews (as of November 2026)
- Dr. Alexandra Hansen (DMD, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine)
- Offers same-day emergency visits
- Same-day
Loads Google Maps- Reviews
- 7 / 20
- Experience
- 0 / 5
- Credentials
- 3 / 10
- Access
- 2 / 25
- Same-day fit
- 21 / 35
- Community
- 2 / 5
Compare the top 8
| Practice | Rank | Google rating | Evenings / weekends | Medi-Cal | Languages besides English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry | 1 | 5.0 (251) | Evenings | Yes | — |
| Smiles By Design Dentistry of San Diego | 2 | 5.0 (215) | Evenings | — | — |
| Relieve Root Canal Specialists (Makadia Dental Corporation) | 3 | 5.0 (417) | — | — | — |
| Scripps West Dental | 4 | 5.0 (444) | — | — | — |
| Rancho Bernardo Dental Arts | 5 | 5.0 (77) | — | — | Farsi, Spanish |
| Rancho Bernardo Endodontics | 6 | 5.0 (227) | — | — | — |
| Lighthouse Dental | 7 | 5.0 (221) | — | — | — |
| Bayside Dentistry | 8 | 5.0 (125) | — | — | — |
How this list was made
Who qualified
83 San Diego practices cleared the license, operating and 25-review gates; 8 met this list's test; the top 8 are shown.
What we scored
Reviews 20 · Experience 5 · Credentials 10 · Access 25 · Same-day fit 35 · Community 5
What we never use
Payment, advertising, sponsorship, or any contact with practices before publication.
Corrections
Practices can request a fact check or removal. We reply within five business days. Contact the desk.
San Diego is too large to research every office in depth, so we swept Google Maps across all 31 city ZIP codes (1,243 dental listings), kept the 160 with the strongest volume-adjusted ratings plus every pediatric practice with 25 or more reviews (190 in all), then confirmed each is inside City of San Diego limits and researched it. Ratings read from Google Maps in November 2026; each practice's volume-adjusted rating is scored by where it ranks among San Diego's qualifying practices. Practice facts (hours, languages, Medi-Cal, services) come from each practice's own website or listing, linked in Sources.
Questions patients ask
Who is the best emergency dentist in San Diego?
Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry ranks first on our 2026 list as of November 2026, with 5.0 stars from 251 Google reviews. The full list ranks 8 practices that hold current California dental licenses with no discipline on record.
Which of these San Diego practices accept Medi-Cal Dental (Denti-Cal)?
1 of the 8 practices state they accept Medi-Cal Dental: Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry. Call ahead to confirm they are taking new Medi-Cal patients.
Which San Diego dentists on this list speak Spanish?
1 practices state that their team speaks Spanish: Rancho Bernardo Dental Arts.
Which are open on weekends?
None of the practices on this list publish weekend hours.
How did Dentist News Today choose these practices?
We started from every dental office registered in San Diego in the federal NPI registry, confirmed each license with the Dental Board of California, and scored practices on six public signals. This list weights them Reviews 20 · Experience 5 · Credentials 10 · Access 25 · Same-day fit 35 · Community 5. No practice paid or was contacted before publication.
On this list?
Listed practices can display a free Dentist News Today badge and send photos for a designed portrait. Rankings are never for sale. Send photos · Request your badge
More San Diego rankings
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- The 20 Top-Rated Dentists in San Diego
- The 20 Best Dentists for Kids in San Diego
- The 19 Best Dental Implant Dentists in San Diego
- 14 San Diego Dentists Open Evenings and Weekends
- The 12 Best Spanish-Speaking Dentists in San Diego
- The 20 Best Sedation Dentists in San Diego
- San Diego's 7 Legacy Dental Practices
Sources
- Dental Board of California license lookup (DCA), checked November 2026
- NPPES NPI Registry, CMS
- Google Maps ratings and review counts, read November 2026
- Medi-Cal Dental: Find a Dentist (California DHCS)
- Elegant Family & Pediatric Dentistry: elegantpediatricdentistry.com/
- Smiles By Design Dentistry of San Diego: sbdsd.com/
- Relieve Root Canal Specialists (Makadia Dental Corporation): local.yobi.com/dental/makadia-dental-corporation-san-diego-ca
- Scripps West Dental: scrippswestdental.com/
- Rancho Bernardo Dental Arts: ranchobernardodentalarts.com/
- Rancho Bernardo Dental Arts: ranchobernardodentalarts.com/team/dr-kam-ghandehari-dds
- Rancho Bernardo Endodontics: rbendodontics.com/
- Rancho Bernardo Endodontics: rbendodontics.com/contact-us
- Lighthouse Dental: lighthouse.dental/
- Bayside Dentistry: baysidedentalsd.com/
- Bayside Dentistry: bizidex.com/en/bayside-dentistry-dentists-797764