Teeth whitening has soared in popularity over the last ten years, especially with the rise of celebrity culture and the unrelenting bombardment of images of celebrities showing off their perfect pearly whites on TV and social media! In fact, teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the UK.
However, this has also resulted in an increase in the popularity of discounted at-home systems that are unregulated and could be incredibly dangerous.
Despite being prosecuted by regulators and receiving fines of thousands of pounds, some beauty salons are continuing to provide illegal teeth whitening. But what are the dangers of either using
at-home systems or being treated by poorly qualified ‘professionals’?
Teeth whitening involves bleaching your teeth using a whitening product that typically contains hydrogen peroxide.
Who can provide treatment?
According to the British Dental Association (BDA) teeth whitening is safe when carried out by a registered dental professional, but it warns that if you have this procedure by someone without
the correct training or knowledge you could permanently damage your gums and teeth. The BDA has warned that beauticians aren’t properly trained to take a medical history enabling them to
make an assessment as to whether someone is suitable for teeth whitening.
In addition, a qualified dentist will have the knowledge and equipment to make bespoke trays to hold the teeth whitening solution that are precisely fitted to your teeth. An accurate fit is the only
way to ensure that the chemicals are being applied only to the teeth and will not harm your gums or be consumed.
Under the Dentists Act 1984 it is illegal for anyone other than a dental health professional to carry out teeth whitening, but it’s still being offered by unqualified practitioners.
Do At-Home Kits Work?
An over-the-counter kit used at home is legal as long as the whitening solution contains less than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, whereas a dentist can legally use up to 6% hydrogen peroxide. This is
why a treatment carried out in the clinic is much more effective.
The reason some kits – especially those bought online and shipped from overseas – are unsafe because they often fail to provide the precise amount of chemicals in the product, and some can even contain banned substances such as sodium perborate as this can cause infertility and foetal abnormalities.
Other at home products include whitening toothpaste but these do not contain chemicals proven to effectively and quickly whiten teeth.
Teeth Whitening from Diamond Dental Care
At Diamond Dental Care we are qualified practitioners and can legally use effective, safe and long-lasting teeth whitening systems to eradicate yellow, stained or brown teeth and give you a naturally white, youthful smile. It’s worth noting that crowns, veneers, fillings and exposed roots will not whiten.
By using a qualified dentist you can top up your teeth whitening with a prescription for more whitening gel every 1 to 2 years and provided your teeth have not moved or changed your tray
can be reused. We will happily check this for you when you require a top up prescription.
At Diamond Dental Care we keep abreast of the latest technologies and effective treatments, ensuring that our patients have access to the very latest advancements in teeth whitening. We do
not use laser whitening – using a blue light to whiten teeth – as this has not been proven to improve results. There has also been no evidence that avoiding certain foods that can stain the teeth such as tea, coffee and red wine during whitening has bearing on results so you can continue your life as normal.