Shiraz, Jo and Ayzaaz
A brilliant experience. Thank you to the team at Pure Smiles for your amazing care and outstanding service. I highly recommend this practice.’ – Neela Sinanan
‘Extracting teeth used to be an everyday job for us,’ recalls Dr Shiraz Akram, co-owner with his brother Ayzaaz of the Pure Smiles family dental practice in Fulham.
‘Twenty years ago there was almost an expectation among patients that at some point they would have dentures. That mindset has completely changed: now people in their sixties and older want to feel young – having removable teeth is not exactly something they accept.
‘Hence, we don’t do nearly as many extractions. Rather, the emphasis is firmly on education, prevention and, if any intervention is needed, making it early and minimally invasive. Together with our excellent team of hygienists, we provide practical guidance and constantly reinforce the message that it’s worth fighting to save every single tooth.’
With younger people who have smoked from an early age, there is a more significant risk of tooth loss. ‘Nicotine narrows the blood vessels in the gums which, in turn, reduces the immune system’s effectiveness in combating bacteria,’ explains Ayzaaz. ‘Also, some patients are just genetically more prone to tooth decay. For them, following an ultra-meticulous hygiene routine is essential: whatever everyone else is doing isn’t necessarily good enough.’
If restorative work is required, Ayzaaz and Shiraz always stress the importance of early diagnosis and then, with the first and every subsequent intervention, ensuring precious tooth structure is retained.
‘In the past, I don’t think dentists focused on that as much,’ says Shiraz. ‘The more structure you take away, the more likely it is a patient will have crowns and root fillings earlier in life. We want to slow down that cycle: if we are going to remove teeth, we want to do it as late as possible.
‘When it comes to replacing teeth, we have a full spectrum of solutions,’ adds Ayzaaz. ‘For some patients a removable denture is the perfect, less complex approach. Others ask for a fixed implant and, between those two options, there are many different dental bridge designs. We’ve been using adhesive bridges for decades: they are glued onto the back of the teeth and work very well.
‘Implants are the most common choice among our patients as they tick all the boxes from both an aesthetic and functional point of view. The root is replaced with an independent titanium structure, so there’s no disruption to neighbouring teeth, and implants also maintain bone integrity and the smile.
‘We are very fortunate to be able to call on Dr Riz Syed, a highly experienced dental surgeon and one of the world’s leading experts in implantology. He and MJ, his specialist implant nurse, come to the practice every month to take a list, and that could be for a single tooth replacement or a full arch of implants.’
Ayzaaz and Shiraz plan all the cases with him and also deal with the aftercare process. ‘When we see patients for their check-up they often tell us how surprised they are to have far less pain or swelling than they expected – and in fact, they have undergone much more taxing procedures at the dentist,’ says Shiraz.
‘With any dental restoration work, and this also applies to cosmetic treatments, teeth straightening and smile design, we always take account of the patient’s wishes and advise on a case-by-case basis. Everything is done to deliver the very best outcome and solve problems in a definitive way.’
Pure Smiles
257 New Kings Road
Fulham SW6 4RB
750a Fulham Road
Fulham SW6 5SH
020 7736 6276
reception@puresmiles.co.uk
https://www.puresmiles.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/pure_smiles.fulham
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