In Fulham, tucked behind an unassuming glass frontage, a quiet revolution in dentistry is underway. Pure Smiles is not the latest cosmetic boutique or a conveyor belt for aligners. It is a family-led practice with a philosophy rooted in integrity. At its centre are two brothers, Dr Ayzaaz Akram and Dr Shiraz Akram, whose vision extends far beyond enamel and whitening strips. Their work asks patients to consider a more profound proposition: that dentistry can reshape not only smiles, but identities, confidence, and lives.
When the Akram brothers speak, it is clear they are in sync. Their sentences overlap; their perspectives dovetail. “We’re two different personalities,” says Ayzaaz, “but our values are identical.” Shiraz agrees: “We flourish under pressure. We anticipate each other’s decisions, often without speaking.”
This invisible bond is what underpins Pure Smiles. Patients experience not a collection of clinicians, but a family enterprise. It feels cohesive, stable, almost choreographed. “It’s a duet rather than two soloists,” notes one long-standing patient.
Family-led practices are nothing new in British dentistry, but what distinguishes Pure Smiles is how the brothers’ shared vision translates into clinical philosophy. Every decision, every treatment plan, every piece of technology is weighed against one question: will this endure?
For Shiraz, the smile is inseparable from human confidence. “It isn’t vanity,” he says firmly. “The way a patient smiles changes how they present themselves in a boardroom, how they walk into a restaurant, how they live their lives.”
Ayzaaz adds that the pandemic sharpened this awareness. “Zoom forced people to confront their own faces for hours on end. They realised their smiles weren’t aligned with who they felt they were. That’s when we saw a real shift in demand.”
Patients arrive at Pure Smiles seeking cosmetic change, but what they receive is often something deeper: a sense of control and agency. A woman who had postponed dating due to her teeth found renewed confidence after her treatment. A professional muted in meetings now commands attention. “Patients don’t invest in vanity,” says Ayzaaz. “They reclaim themselves.”
Central to the brothers’ vision is their approach to anxiety. They are acutely aware that fear keeps many away from clinics for decades. Ayzaaz recalls a patient who had not seen a dentist in twenty years. “He sat silent, paralysed. We began with breathwork, hypnotherapy, and conversation. By the end, he was directing how he wanted his smile to look.”
Shiraz frames it simply: “Empathy is the most underused clinical skill in dentistry. Before we touch a tooth, we earn trust.”
They describe their practice as slow dentistry — longer appointments, calmer voices, deliberate pacing. Technology aids this, with digital scanning replacing messy impressions and 3D previews demystifying the unknown. But the essence is human. Patients feel listened to, not rushed; participants, not subjects.
Pure Smiles embraces technology, but with caution. Digital Smile Design, Invisalign, 3D printing: these are tools, not toys. “The reactions to Digital Smile Design are extraordinary,” Shiraz reflects. “Patients laugh, cry, sometimes cover their mouths in disbelief. They say, ‘I can’t believe that’s me.’”
Yet the brothers resist the temptation to chase speed. “Invisalign isn’t just a plastic tray,” Ayzaaz says. “We’ll reprogramme a case as many times as it takes to make sure it’s biologically stable. Quick fixes collapse. We’re here for permanence.”
Market data supports this position. The UK’s cosmetic dentistry sector is forecast to expand significantly, with aligners leading demand. But regulators have raised alarms about direct-to-consumer models that risk compromising safety. The Akrams are clear: their clinic exists as a counterweight, where science is prioritised over marketing, and health over hype.
The brothers often return to one refrain: “foundations before facades.” Patients may arrive asking for veneers, but if gum disease is present or the bite is unstable, cosmetic work is refused until health is restored.
This philosophy runs against the current of dental tourism and fast-track procedures that dominate social media feeds. The risks are visible: collapsed bites, failing crowns, long-term damage. “We see patients every month who have spent thousands abroad,” Shiraz explains, “and they come back with mouths that need complete rehabilitation.”
The pair insist that true luxury is not the Instagram-ready smile, but the smile that still functions decades later. “A beautiful smile without health is an illusion,” Ayzaaz says. “It will collapse sooner than you think.”
What makes Pure Smiles more than a clinic is the relationship between its two leaders. Their partnership is invisible but palpable. Patients describe the effect as calming; staff talk of the clarity it brings. Each brother pushes the other further — pursuing additional training, refining techniques, holding one another to account.
The result is resilience. Under pressure, their dynamic strengthens rather than fractures. It is this synergy that allows Pure Smiles to balance the demands of modern dentistry with the values of a family business.
Ultimately, the brothers argue that dentistry is not about teeth at all. It is about identity. A confident smile changes how a person feels, behaves, and is perceived. It alters family dynamics, career trajectories, even relationships.
Patients tell them this daily. One recalls saying, “I can’t believe that’s me” at her smile reveal. Another spoke of finally being able to laugh freely with her children. These are not cosmetic adjustments. They are human transformations.
“Dentistry is empowerment made visible,” Shiraz concludes. “It’s about giving people back a version of themselves they thought was lost.”
As NHS dentistry struggles with access and private practices proliferate, the question is what kind of dentistry Britain wants. The Akrams believe the answer lies in integrity: empathy first, health first, biology first. It is not a fashionable philosophy in a world of fast beauty, but it may prove the most enduring.
Their ambition is not expansion for its own sake, but to deepen the impact in Fulham — to ensure every patient who enters leaves not only with a stronger smile, but with renewed confidence. Pure Smiles, they argue, will always be more than a clinic. It is a legacy, a family mission, and a reminder that dentistry, done properly, is about far more than enamel.
To experience the philosophy of Pure Smiles — dentistry that puts health, confidence and identity first — visit www.puresmiles.co.uk or call 020 7736 6276 to book your consultation.
