Due to Maharma Alvi's negligence and repetitive misdiagnoses, I was in pain for 3 months and almost had an unnecessary root canal.

On 4/17/2019, I had 2 cavities filled and a crown put on at West Somerville Dental by Alvi. The procedure was atypical and I left with my mouth incredibly sore.

I did not want to return to that office, but I finally broke down and made an appointment after a few weeks of pain on the right side of my mouth, both the top and bottom. I went in for an appointment and they took x-rays. Alvi looked at my teeth briefly, said nothing was clinically wrong and didn’t know what to suggest. I left in pain.

Just a few weeks later, by early June, I couldn’t take it anymore and made another appointment with a different dentist at the practice. They wanted to take an X-ray. I reminded them that I was just there a few weeks ago and X-rays were taken then. The dentist then said that those X-rays were ONLY OF the top part of the bottom tooth and he needed the whole tooth and the root in the X-ray. He then told me that I had an infection needed antibiotics.

I took the entire dose, no change. Alvi's next recommendation was that I see a specialist, whom she would refer me to, for a root canal. Instead, I went to a completely different dentist's office. Just by looking at the X-rays, the NEW dentist confirmed THAT THERE WAS NEVER AN INFECTION! And the problem was that the crown was substandard and put on incorrectly. He had to shave it down. I did not need a root canal. Had I followed Alvi's recommendation and taken her referral, I may have had an unnecessary root canal.

The fact that Alvi and a staff member misdiagnosed me twice and were unable to diagnose what was ultimately a quick fix is frightening and I don't believe she should be allowed to practice dentistry due to her incompetence and negligence when it comes to her patients.

Dr. Bourgeois is gone and West Somerville Dental has new doctors who are awesome! They remodeled and it looks beautiful. My crown is great and I felt no pain. I have since brought in my wife and kids. This is back to what it used to be and the neighborhood is very happy!

I had not been to the dentist in over 10 years due to previous bad experiences with dentists. However my friend recommended West Somerville Dental so I decided to give them a try. They were very accomodating to my schedule, quite professional, and their low pressure and caring attitude made me feel totally comfortable.



I had complete x-rays and cleaning, and have also scheduled a follow-up visit for some additional deep cleaning to catch up on the 10 years of preventive care I missed. Overall they did a good job of explaining the condition of my teeth and offered realistic and practical advice for how I could take better care of myself. So far I'm quite satisified with their care and have already recommended them to others.

I have been seen at West Somerville Dental 3 times now and have also taken my kids in for cleanings. I have never had to wait long, I was put at ease (as much as you can when holding your mouth open for drilling) and the care was thorough and fast.



My kids like the dentist and dental hygienists they saw. Their treatment plans were explained to me and I was given options on how to proceed.



I appreciate all the staff who made my experience a positive one.

I needed a crown and I have braces. They were able to call my orthodontist and make arrangements to access my tooth and do the crown and put my braces back in the same day, back to back appointments. The staff was very nice and I felt no pain. They use digital x-rays and they showed me exactly what they were doing and explained why. Dr. Alvi is very smart and made me feel relaxed. I took my kids in the following week for cleanings. They loved the train table and childrens DVD player. The receptionist even played with my son while I was in the back with my daughter. Great service. Thank you!