Alli Makker Guleria, DMD

I hesitated writing this review because it is so negative, and I really like Dr. Guleria as a person. However, I want to help others avoid the mistake that I made by choosing Dr. Guleria as an orthodontist, when there are a multitude of highly qualified doctors in the area.
I was a patient of Dr. Guleria’s from 2000 to 2007. I wore braces for all seven years, up through my junior year of high school. As an adult now with eight years of hindsight, I believe this was not due to an overly complicated treatment or orthodontic situation, but practice negligence and incompetence. While Dr. Guleria’s office staff and location are nice, polite, and professional (Iris seriously made my day every time, and was a very skilled practitioner!), it was very frustrating to see patients from other offices with equally bad teeth alignment end up with perfect smiles in about two years time.
In addition, some of the technology Dr. Guleria used during my treatment could be deemed archaic. I was sentenced to wearing a Herbst appliance for nearly 18 months, and while this technology has been in-​use since the 1930s, she positioned it to me as cutting-​edge treatment, which simply is not true. Furthermore, instead of removing my braces after an initial treatment when I was young, she chose to leave my braces on the entire duration of when my baby teeth fell out and adult teeth grew in, which was completely unnecessary, and not a common practice among many orthodontists. To further speed up the braces process once she noticed frustration as the years roll on, she suggested the extraction of two top molars to fix my bite. I have since learned this process was unnecessary, and they most likely would have fit in my mouth with the proper orthodontic treatment.
I also believe that Dr. Guleria did not do everything in her power to ensure my thousand dollar smile was turned into a million dollar smile. My bite alignment was criticized from other dentists at the completion of treatment, as she aligned my top teeth at a negative one degree angle, which is a far cry from the recommended, aesthetically pleasing seven degree angle. In addition, the two teeth next to my front teeth were smaller than recommended by most dentists, yet she did not provide counsel on veneers or options that could have improved the aesthetics of the final result. Lastly, unlike other orthodontists in the area that provide patients clear retainers to wear during the day, Dr. Guleria opted for a metal-​wire retainer. As a high school student, this is sub-​optimal, and demonstrates a lack of understanding of her patients’ needs post-​braces.
Now, I am currently looking into Invisalign treatments to correct Dr. Guleria’s work, and wish I would have found someone to do the job right the first time. Parents, I beseech you — do not take your children here.

I met Dr. Guleria about a year ago while helping her search for a new home. I told her about my experience the previous year with Invisalign clear braces and learned that my teeth were in worse shape after Invisalign than before. I understand that Invisalign is a great product but my dentist didn’t follow the correct procedures with me and I had bad results.
Dr. Guleria patiently showed me how my teeth should fit together and made a plan to correct the mistakes. I was impressed with her professionalism and patience to make sure I understood the entire process. I had my first set of braces in the 8^th grade and now at 49 years old I was about to get braces again.
I met Iris and Michelle and the rest of the office staff who are always fun and professional and always upbeat. The actual office space is bright and open with lots of windows to feel inviting, not like most doctors offices where you are stuck in a box to wait.
A few months later I had my braces removed and I’m still shocked at how great the results are. Not only do I LOVE my smile but I don’t have to worry about problems later because my teeth fit properly. I will refer Dr. Guleria to all my clients, friends and family. She is a gifted professional and truly a nice Lady!

The office environment is very rushed. I definitely question the quality of the orthodontic work.

PROs:
State of the art office
Very clean
Very friendly staff who will call you by name and make conversations with you each time
On-​time appointments
CONs:
Despite all the listed pros, it’s not enough because of some fundamental flaws. I’m not happy with the outcome and I’ve been there a couple of times now after the end of the treatment to have my retainers checked. Dr. Guleria never once asked me if I was happy with the outcome. I know it’s too late now, but I really wish there were certain things she could have told me before I started the treatment. Also, she suggested teeth removal which was completely un-​necessary and that negatively affected the outcome. I regretted following her advice and had my teeth removed. After the treatment ended, she never once sat down with me since then and during the retainer check-​ups. Everything since then has been handled by a technician.
I do NOT recommend this place.

This is a state of the Art orthodontics office. It’s very nicely designed and spacious for multiple patients. I love the seating area but it pretty much ends there. I did not have a good experience with my braces there.
My sister and I both got braces from this practice. However, I was left totally unsatisfied. Dr. Guleria does not give much thought to the patients’ overall success of the outcome of braces. My retainer was not made correctly and did not fit into my mouth after two weeks of wear. My teeth started shifting and I was not completely happy with my treatment.
End result: I actually have gotten Invisalign (in the present) from a different office now to get my teeth how I want them to be.
Two of my other friends have gotten their braces from this office as well but were not satisfied as well. I really would suggest looking into all the dentists around the area before coming here.~

I had my braces for 2.5 years, and it was really a pleasant experience. Since I get my dental work done at Reston Dental Center, I decided to inquire with Dr. Guleria (who is in the same building) about having orthognathic surgery (jaw realignment). Dr. G gave me a realistic and reasonable assessment, and proposed and followed-​through with a plan that got me out of my braces quicker than a great majority of people I’ve known who’ve had braces.
The office décor is super contemporary, and really does not feel or look like a doctor’s office. The staff knows you and really invests in your smile, both literally and figuratively. They also greet you by name when you walk in, which lets you know that you aren’t just a regular patient to them.
Dr. G knew that since I was an adult, I wanted braces that I wanted braces that would not be very visible. So, she recommended the ceramic braces. These were placed on the teeth that show when I’m smiling, and the rest were the typical metal brackets. Worked perfectly! When I told people how excited I was to be getting my braces off, they would say «Wait…you had braces??» Worked for me.
Now that I have my jaw corrected, and a picture perfect smile, I’m a lot happier and in turn, a lot more social than I was before. I feel like a new person!
I highly recommend Dr. G and the staff at Guleria Orthodontics.

When I decided to finally get braces as an adult, I ran into a bit of a problem. Several orthodontists I visited told me quite emphatically that I would need major surgery to correct my crooked teeth. They all but refused to take a secondary non-​surgical route, as if this option was demeaning to their art. I didn’t WANT a perfect textbook smile, I just wanted my teeth straightened out a bit!
I dreaded the thought of having bits of my skull cut apart and rearranged. Granted, I rather dreaded wearing braces, and nearly changed my mind, until my dentist recommended Dr. Ali Guleria.
When I called Dr. Guleria’s office, I told them straight off — NO surgery. She agreed to work with me, and together we developed a compromise that satisfied both of us. 4 years later, here I am, amazed by my new smile. No, it’s still not ‘perfect’, but unless you’re an orthodontic textbook designer, who’s going to know?
Things I liked about visiting Dr. Guleria’s office:
It’s elegant. Very art deco. I didn’t feel like an adult in a kid’s environment. In fact, I saw as many adults as children while I was there. There are several playrooms for waiting children, but the overall feeling of the office is simply classic.
High Tech. Digital x-​ray machine, computers at every chair, an impressive database program that allowed them to keep complex and accurate records of every patient.
The staff. Every time I walked in, anyone who saw me greeted me cheerfully by name. They dressed in coordinating colors each day, and were always incredibly sweet and friendly. Several of them had braces or had had various procedures done, and they shared their experiences with me. (It’s nice to know the people working on you have gone through the same thing!)
Dr. Guleria is very professional, and yet friendly and warm. I was highly impressed with her, and she made me feel very comfortable in her office.
Since I was a working adult, she used ceramic braces on my upper front teeth, and if she ever changed the bands on the lower teeth she always pulled out the clear ones. It really IS hard to see ceramic braces — many people didn’t notice I had them. (I’m not all that much of an adult, so I always asked for colors when the staff changed them.)
So, yes, very happy with my orthodontist. Sadly, I don’t ever have to go back now, but I hope I’ve encouraged someone to go in my place!