Somerville Family Dental
Nikhilesh Rao Gorukanti, DMD:
Practice Profile Page

★★★★★

DENTAL TREATMENTS OFFERED

Dental cleaning

White fillings

Crowns

Inlays & onlays

Bridges

Clear aligners

Porcelain veneers

Teeth whitening

Dentures & partials

Root canal treatment

Tooth extraction

TMJ treatment

Dental implants

CLEAR ALIGNER SERVICES

OFFICE HOURS

Monday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Tuesday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Wednesday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Thursday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Saturday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Sunday: Closed

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BEFORE & AFTER PHOTO GALLERY

PATIENT REVIEWS

Somerville Family Dental was my first non-pediatric dentist, and one of the smoothest dental experiences I have ever had. Everyone at the office was incredibly friendly and helpful, from reception to Dr. Nick himself. Dr. Nick was friendly, talkative, and made me feel comfortable the first time I was there. Music was great as well 🙂

Wednesday at 8pm one of my biggest fears materialized: I broke a tooth. Thursday at 7am I was being treated by Dr. Nick and his team. All this admits a pandemic. I could not be more grateful to have an independently-owned, family practice in my neighborhood that could address my emergency dental needs so quickly and in a setting that made me feel safe during COVID. The people at this practice are amazing (you know, the kind that ask about your kiddos) and its professionalism, top-notch. My appreciate runs deep. if you haven’t found your Somerville dentist yet, you can check that right off the list after calling Dr. Nick’s office.

Just had a regular cleaning at Somerville Family Dental. The staff and Dr. Nick are very friendly and went above and beyond to make me comfortable (bottled water for my dry throat, asking about my music preferences for background music, vaseline because the sides of my mouth were very cracked). Dr. Nick also gave tips about proper dental upkeep at the end of the session which were really helpful and non-obvious. Overall it’s clearly a practice that really cares about their work and their patients.

This place is great! Quick, easy, clean, and convenient. Not only does Dr. Nick do great work, the staff is extremely friendly, they have massaging dental chairs, and even let you pick your own music to listen to while getting work done! Easily the best experience I’ve had at the dentist. For the first time in my life the dentist is actually somewhat enjoyable!

Before this month, I had been one of those people who struggled to go to the dentist as an adult because of past trauma as a kid in the dentist’s chair. That’s probably silly, but going to Somerville Family Dental was like being introduced to a new world of dentistry. Everyone there is unbelievably sweet, from the front desk, to the assistants, to Lisa the hygienist, and most of all Dr. Nick. I ended up needing 1.5 hours of work done, and Dr. Nick did a great job of making me feel like I was the one in control. Best bedside manner I’ve seen. I highly recommend if anyone has been struggling like me to get to start a good relationship with their dental care, go to Somerville Family Dental.

I needed a new dentist and was quite nervous as it had been longer than it should have been since my last cleaning. The receptionist was incredibly nice and helpful when scheduling my first and follow up appointments. My hygienist Joanna made me feel very comfortable and walked me through everything. She did a great job cleaning my teeth and I felt very safe and well taken care of. Dr. Nick was friendly and informative and I felt I could trust him with my teeth and care. I would highly recommend Somerville Family Dental and I’m so glad to have found them!

As far as dentist visits go, this one was as pleasant can be! The environment itself was calm. I was nervous to go to the dentist as usual, but was immediately put at ease. Everyone at this office was thorough and kind. Joanne talked me through what she was doing the entire time, which was helpful and interesting. She also gave me really useful tips for what I specifically needed to do differently. I am honestly looking forward to my next appointment here!

Dr. Nik and all the staff are so great. Welcoming, knowledgeable, and a great office. You can watch Planet Earth while your teeth get cleaned. Dr. Nik provides reasonable treatment advice and opinion if you are facing larger dental work (for me, root canals). He always follows up with this extra dental work at each visit to make sure I’m healing properly. Highly recommend this practice — especially in their fancy new digs!

Dr. Nick and his staff are the absolute best….I never would have thought to leave a review of a dentist’s office but this place deserves it. Dr. Nick is kind, patient, attentive, and non-judgmental. As another reviewer has noted here, he also is mindful of helping patients avoid getting work done or having expensive procedures further down the line. Best dentist I’ve ever visited.

I saw Tsering as a new patient here: she’s extremely professional in addition to being a kind and considerate person. I would 100% recommend this office to anyone looking for a new dentist. She and the other doctor took great care to address my concerns and questions, and I know anyone would be in great hands while at this practice. Thanks again!

I needed urgent help with a toothache, and was seen a few hours after calling, even though they were closed for regular appointments. Caroline and Dr. Nick were friendly, got me out super fast, they were thoughtful, and very clear about my options and what to expect after I went home. A few days later I received a text just to see how I was doing, and got a little more advice to answer a question. It was so nice of them to check in! I felt really cared for. I also like the office setup. It’s perfectly clean and they they have a TV to watch from the chair. I have incredible anxiety about dental work after some bad experiences elsewhere, so TV was a welcomed distraction. I’d highly recommend Somerville Family Dental.

Look no further. I had my first appointment at Somerville Family Dental in friends are already tired of hearing how thrilled and thankful I am to have found this practice. Dr. Nick, his assistant, and the entire team are incredibly efficient, expert, compassionate, funny, kind people who have made me feel like I’m in the best hands every step of the way. I have never felt so at ease or taken care of in a lifetime of dental care. After years of not being able to afford to see a dentist, I was terrified I’d face shaming (as I have before) on top of the usual things one would worry about ahead of an appointment. Nobody at this practice has made me feel anything but comfort for even a second, and Dr. Nick goes the extra mile by explaining steps of his procedures and offering tips on products and techniques to improve my own dental care habits, even when he doesn’t need to take the time. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for what started as an emergency appointment and has become the best healthcare experience I’ve ever had. It’s not just the quality of expert work that will last far beyond my visits, but the attentive kindness I’ve been given here.

I’ve been coming here for over a year after my insurance changed and needed a place that was taking new patients. Though I lived in Winter Hill when I initially chose this place, I moved to Newton a few months ago and plan to keep coming as I am constantly impressed. I recently had a baby and felt very comfortable with Dr. Nik explaining what to expect with hormonal changes and my teeth, working without xrays etc. I came in for a cleaning this last week and had a filling that fell out unbeknownst to me, Dr. Nik stayed late to make sure it was cleaned out and redone so I didn’t have to come back again. Highly recommend!

I used to live near here and due to a change in insurance, needed a new dentist. It’s been over a year, and now that I’m in a completely different neck of the woods, I still make a point to go here for any dental work I need! I had a molar that another dentist told me would need to be removed and relaxed with an implant – an expensive procedure I was hoping to avoid. Dr. Nik told me he would try and save it before resorting to removing it, and not only was he able to save it, he has been able to prevent any problems since. Dr. Nik is a courteous, friendly, and skilled dentist, and always remembers me and asks about my home and family. I’ve had good luck with dentists in Boston, but he’s simply the best!

I knew I needed to have my teeth examined and cleaned, and when I received a flyer in the mail for having an exam, cleaning, and x-rays for a very low price (1st-time patients), I called up and made an appointment. I was scared to go in because I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure how much work needed to be done and how painful it might be. Well, it was probably the most pleasant trip to a dentist I have ever made. Dr. Nick was very thorough in cleaning my teeth. He did not seem rushed, like he needed to get me out the door and get the next patient in. After taking the x-rays, he took plenty of time to go over them with me. I ended up having one cavity that needed to be dealt with, but I already suspected that, because the tooth was giving me some issue. I truly believe that the previous dentist I had seen (I won’t mention the practice name) had accidentally loosened the filling, causing gunk to get inside the tooth, which is why it took me a while to go back to see another one. So, I had to come back to get a filling, and Dr. Nick told me that there was a small chance I would need a root canal. I could see in the x-rays that the decay was indeed near the root. During the filling procedure, he removed a little of the decay at a time, careful not to expose the root. I’m sure that many other dentists would have just said that I needed a root canal, because the procedure would have cost 5 times as much. In the end, the filling was all that was needed. After instruments were being packed up, I felt like there was a little bit of roughness on the tooth. I thought not to say anything, as I didn’t want to take up any more of his time, but I did. I’m sure it was just that I wasn’t use to the feeling of the filling yet, but I also knew I would be upset with myself if I didn’t say anything. Dr. Nick was happy to sand the filling until I felt comfortable with it. He probably started and stopped 5 or 6 times, asking me how it felt, until I gave him the okay. The next day I received a call from the practice. I called back and Dr. Nick picked up the phone. He said that he had called to check in on me and see how I was doing. Now that is patient care! If you need to see the dentist and either don’t have one or are thinking about finding a new one, then this is the place to go.

I found Dr. Nikhilesh after an incident of severe tooth pain and he was kind enough to take me in as an emergency case and stay past his office hours to work on my tooth. He took his time to assess everything and then explain it to me. After every appointment, he made it a point to follow up numerous times via messages to make sure I’m doing okay. Both Dr. Nikhilesh and his assistant Giselle deserve high praise for patient care and excellence. As someone who hates visiting the doctors or dentists, I highly recommend Dr. Nikhilesh.

Dr. Nick is all around great. Knowledgeable, patient focused, upfront and above all honest. I had great experience there and the extractions I had to go through were performed very well with minimal discomfort which dr nick went above and beyond to alleviate. I don’t normally write reviews but I felt compelled in this case by the overall genuine attention, care and competence I found in this clinic. Highly recommended.

Absolutely fantastic. The best dentist I’ve ever been too. Serine, the hygienist (I’m spelling her name wrong and I apologize) and Dr. Nick were friendly, patient, professional, and kind. It’s the first time I haven’t felt rushed at the dentist, and even though I’m usually terrified of the dentist, I felt comfortable here. Cannot recommend them enough.

My teeth feel squeaky clean! I visited Somerville Family Dental for a teeth cleaning and was so impressed by the friendliness of the staff, cleanliness of the office, and overall experience. The front desk staff were incredibly nice. My dental hygienist, Joanne was very personable and had so many excellent tips on how to upgrade my brushing and flossing routine. She was very thorough, yet gentle in her technique. Dr. Nick was also fantastic! He took a careful look at my x-rays and my teeth. I appreciated his balanced approach–I didn’t feel pressured to get my fillings replaced, as I have felt at previous dental offices. They accept most insurances, including Guardian Dental. The chairs were comfortable. The music was rockin’. PLUS there was an interesting animal documentary to keep me entertained during the cleaning. Highly recommend this office for all of your dental needs!

Above and beyond service is a given here! Dr. Nick and his assistant were super friendly and made me extremely comfortable for my first cleaning in about two years. I love the little things that made my visit a great one – he let me choose the background music & the heated massage chair was an incredible surprise. Afterwards, my teeth felt amazing! I’ll be back in six months and will be looking forward to making my teeth feel that way again as well as enjoying the incredible service. Thanks, Somervile Family Dental!

My first visit to Family Dental was my first check-up in too long a time. I knew there would be follow-ups for work on my teeth and probably gums, so I was not looking forward to it. On top of that, I’ve been told by medical staff in other scenarios that I probably suffer from “whitecoat syndrome,” so, my anxiety level was not trivial. Dr. Nick and his assistant were very friendly and did their best to chill me out. When it came time for cleaning and examination, I was still a bit stressed, but definitely put at ease. Once x-rays and photos were taken, Dr. Nick went over what he saw–yup, there would be follow-ups–and outlined a plan. I look forward to future check-ups, once all the heavy construction work is done, so I can appreciate Dr. Nick’s chair-side manner starting at a mental state above kinda-freaked-out. Note that this 5 star rating is based on one visit, which went as well as I could have hoped.

Look no further. I had my first appointment at Somerville Family Dental in friends are already tired of hearing how thrilled and thankful I am to have found this practice. Dr. Nick, his assistant, and the entire team are incredibly efficient, expert, compassionate, funny, kind people who have made me feel like I’m in the best hands every step of the way. I have never felt so at ease or taken care of in a lifetime of dental care. After years of not being able to afford to see a dentist, I was terrified I’d face shaming (as I have before) on top of the usual things one would worry about ahead of an appointment. Nobody at this practice has made me feel anything but comfort for even a second, and Dr. Nick goes the extra mile by explaining steps of his procedures and offering tips on products and techniques to improve my own dental care habits, even when he doesn’t need to take the time. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for what started as an emergency appointment and has become the best healthcare experience I’ve ever had. It’s not just the quality of expert work that will last far beyond my visits, but the attentive kindness I’ve been given here.

Dr. Nick is quite good at his job and very compassionate and understanding. I had to have root canal done and he understood the pain and made sure to give me a painless procedure which went very well and I have gotten to the point now where I forget that I had a root canal (meaning I have not had any lasting pain or problems). The staff is nice and helpful and they are very accommodating, even going the extra mile to offer a free bottle of water. I would highly recommend Somerville Family Dental!

This is the best dentist’s office I’ve ever experienced in my 35 years. They are so good, in fact, that I’m taking the time to leave a 3 paragraph review. In my several years visiting them, I’ve had my teeth cleaned by multiple employees who genuinely cared about my health, my teeth and even my life & hobbies. They helped me to avoid needing to get work done, and have actually motivated me to care for my mouth better than before. This last point is very important, and is really the key reason I will keep going. The front of the house communicates well and leverages technology in their scheduling, and they can be flexible when needed. The team here makes it clear what’s needed at home to keep a mouth healthy, including recommendations on where to find deals on the right dental products. They also don’t seem to up-sell you on services or products to buy, or try to sell you on things you don”t need. They really focus on the essentials. Overall, if you live in or near Somerville, try making an appointment here and see what you think of them. They’re good about taking insurance in my experience, as well as explaining it, so if the money works out I would highly recommend seeing for yourself what kind of service they provide. I still don’t enjoy going to the dentist- but I do enjoy my dentist. Those are two different statements, but it really does make a big difference to me.

Somerville Family Dental is a general dentistry office near Bow Market, Somerville. Dr. Nick and his team are excellent! I asked about Zoom whitening and was wisely advised not to go through with it- whitening has many negative side effects and is not for everyone. The cleanings are thorough, the office is extremely clean, and there are nature documentaries playing on the big screen. I highly recommend this office for all looking for a quality dentist.

OMG! The Indian dentist there, I think is the owner, I am not sure, is just marvelous!!!!! He is skillful, quick, and that really shows how experienced he is on what he does! In the past month, I have done two filling and one cleaning there and he did two filings over two appointments. Both quick, little to no pain, professional as hell!!!! Excellent dentist! I have tired other so called best ones somewhere else, can not compare with him! I am so glad I tried with this dental practice. I think I will stick with them for a long time

Dr. Nick and his staff are the best. This is a hidden gem of a dental office. Everything from my interaction with his employees, to my cleaning, to my consult with Dr Nick was handled with extreme professionalism and care. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for quality dental work in a patient-first, non-salesy environment.

Dr. Nik was fantastic! He was on time and the cleaning was a fast, easy experience.  His office is clean and comfortable.  I went to see him for a cleaning and a second opinion on a few crowns that were recommended and he offered really great advice on which tooth needed to be taken care of after and which could wait for crowns.  He just saved me so much money!  At the end of the cleaning, Dr. Nik also showed me how to properly use my electric toothbrush.   Oh, and there’s parking right out front!

I hadn’t been to the dentist in years. It was just something I kept putting off. When I moved to Union square this past September I thought about getting a new dentist but put it off again. Thankfully I finally stopped putting it off and came to Dr. Nik. He’s professional and personal in the best way. All of his dental assistants are top notch too! I had some extensive dental work done as a kid and without missing a beat he continued my process. A few cavities filled, a crown, and a broken tooth fixed. My smile’s never looked so good! Already got one of my friends coming here. Can’t recommend enough!

Dr. Nick and staff are absolutely top notch! My fillings and gum line work far exceed the quality I’ve experienced at numerous places elsewhere. I’ve always been treated really well and have had everything patiently explained to me when needed. Most importantly I feel I can trust them! Unlike many dentists I’ve never felt like Dr. Nick was “selling” me something. I would recommend to anyone and will continue to go here as long as possible. Hard to find!

I’ve been going to Somerville Family Dental for over a year now, and this place is phenomenal. Dr. Nik & the staff are excellent at what they do, and they really care about their patients. I even got a follow-up call from Dr. Nik himself over one weekend to check on me after I had gotten a procedure done earlier that week. Dr. Nik does a great job helping you understand what needs to be done. He even has his computer screen set up facing the exam chair so that he can show you your x-rays, and takes as much time as necessary to explain what’s going on. I think he really geeks out on dentistry, so you know he’s always learning about the most sophisticated technology or techniques or research. He and the staff are very serious about making sure you feel comfortable and listened to. They’ll ask you your favorite music and let you pick a playlist on the Smart TV across from the exam chair, which has a sweet massage function. They’re pretty fantastic when it comes to managing the painful/scary parts of dentist visits — I’ve never been ignored when I say that something hurts — so it’s not such an anxiety-inducing experience. The office actually smells nice, too. It doesn’t have that awful Dentist Office Smell (you know what I’m talking about!) Oh and there’s plenty of bike parking out front. Plus, after your appointment is over, you can stroll down to the comic shop to reward yourself for being so responsible 🙂

Ok. I do not trust dentists. I used to know a few who went to this really well known dental school and after a few get togethers with them where they swapped stories about how they scare their patients into unnecessary dental procedures, I was like and basically never trusted a dentist again. So, I’ve only been to Dr. Nik one time, but… I think this one might not try to scare patients. It also felt like he was very nice to the people in his office. I felt like he trusted what I said about my dental history and like he listened to my opinion. I thought his treatment plan sounded reasonable and not overly aggressive. First, let’s talk about the hygienist, you know the person whom you spend most of your time with. The one I saw was SUPER nice and did the most gentle cleaning I’ve ever had. The x-rays were not the most awful feeling ever and were totally tolerable (I feel like that’s high praise for x-rays. If I said they felt great, I would clearly be lying). She made nice conversation, explained everything to me and there was no bleeding or anything and she made sure I knew that we could stop if I was not comfortable. She was super nice about the whole thing. Then the dentist came in, and he looked at my x-rays, and he was like do you floss? And I know it looks like I don’t floss, and just for all the strangers who read this, my dental hygiene is on point. Like I’ve explained my routine to some friends of mine who are dentists, and they were like, really? Wow you’re doing too good of a job, there’s nothing else you have to do. I use an amazing toothbrush, I time my brushing, I have an app that makes sure I’m being thorough, I wait 30 minutes after eating to brush, I don’t rinse the toothpaste out of my mouth, I floss daily and additionally as needed, etc etc etc. I promise. And every dentist, I’ve ever seen was like, well if you’re doing all that you shouldn’t have these carriers, so… followed by the maybe-you’re-lying face, Dr. Nik finally said that it could be genetic. So I’m feeling like, yes! Thank you! I knew genes must be playing a role here! Anyway back to the review, so I’ve been told by two dentists (one who I thought I really liked, but her soft sales pitch turned out to be misleading, and her treatment plan was extremely aggressive) that I needed a crown. Since I lost all trust for dentists as I explained earlier, I decided to ignore them and just see how long I could wait to fix my tooth. Several years later, I started to get a little nervous over a little cold sensitivity I had, and I decided I should see someone before something crazy happened…I decided to take a chance on a new dentist… Dr. Nik. He listened to me, and said he thought I didn’t need a crown and asked if he could try a filling instead. I thought it was really nice that he listened to my opinion and asked if I was ok trying his recommendation instead. He also didn’t give me a crazy aggressive treatment plan and he prescribed me a prescription toothpaste to help with some little cavities that he didn’t recommend filling right away, which makes me think that he’s not trying to just bill me and my insurance by drilling out all of my teeth forever. I’m not going to pretend like I suddenly trust dentists again after one visit, but this guy seems like he could be trustworthy. Normally, I advise all of my friends to appear homeless when going to the dentist, so they won’t think that they can scare you out of all your money, but I did not pretend to be homeless this time, and he still didn’t recommend unnecessary procedures to me. I’ve already told my spouse to start seeing this dentist, and I feel really comfortable here so far.

Had not had my regular dental exam in a while so after my boyfriend went in for a check-up, I decided to schedule mine based on my boyfriend’s good experience. Dr Nick and staff are all professional, competent, good, friendly people who do a great job. Pros: Good dentist. Good staff. Electronic/mobile communications for confirmations. Also, some communication by way of text service is great. Prices are good. Cons: Haven’t found any.

The entire staff at Somerville Family Dental is wonderful. I’ve been a patient for 2 years and I genuinely enjoy all of my visits, and not just because the care they provide is of high quality. Dr. Nick and his team are always warm and engaging, and I look forward to our conversations each appointment. I couldn’t be happier.

I moved to Somerville from Los Angeles last summer and it had been over a year since my last dental cleaning. Today I had my first appointment with Dr. Nick and his team. The check-in was quick and efficient. I spent my cleaning seated in what looked like a typical dental chair, but unlike chairs in other offices this one vibrated along my lower back. It was like being in a massage chairs while at my nail salon. Great surprise! The staff asked my music preferences and adjusted the room’s music for me. Dr. Nick discussed a few areas of my mouth where I need to brush differently (45 degree angle and under the gums) and he recommended a specific electric toothbrush model. My teeth feel great! I’ll be back in 6 months for another cleaning.

A WORD FROM YOUR DOCTOR