TOOTH WHITENING – A Change in the Law

17th March 2013

Tooth whitening has always been a bit of a government farce. We can take a lot of delight in blaming our own government and the EU (we like doing that, don’t we?). Just to make things clear, tooth whitening was illegal up until 1st Nov 2012. Technically, even dentists weren’t supposed to be doing it! I can hear the general public getting worried, “uh-oh, has it damaged my teeth?” Well, the answer is, thankfully, NO! If it was done sensibly and properly!

The legal bit

Tooth whitening is done using two compounds, one is hydrogen peroxide, the other being carbamide peroxide which breaks down to become hydrogen peroxide, so essentially they are both very similar compounds and have very similar effects. Before 1st November 2012, the law stated that 0.1% hydrogen peroxide was the strongest concentration of whitening agents that could be used and this was because the product classification was changed from a medical compound to a cosmetic one. The problem is that 0.1% hydrogen peroxide will not whiten anything let alone your teeth!

The new law from the EU has been ratified by our government. This new law says is that only those on the dental register may carry out tooth whitening and that they may only use a concentration up to 6% hydrogen peroxide (this translates to 18% carbamide peroxide).

This is good news and some bad news. Firstly, it makes all teeth whitening by beauticians, shopping center salons, and alleged ‘cowboys’ illegal!

I have seen many teeth ruined by so-called ‘tooth whitening specialists’ and I’m glad to say that now it’s clearly banned and not allowed! So the next time you see a smile-salon-spa in a shopping center or whilst you are at a beauty salon waiting for your message, ask them if they are on the dental register. If not, call trading standards and report them, as they are breaking the law and potentially putting your life in danger. What would happen if someone had a serious allergic reaction to latex or some other compound in one of these salons? Do you think they are trained in basic life support? Probably not! Similarly, if someone had a reaction the next day or week later, will that pop-up smile-salon-spa still be in the middle of the shopping center to get advice? Probably not. In addition, all dental practices are regularly assessed for hygiene – not by various government bodies, who assess beauty salons? How many of these salons have sterilizer which are able to kill bacteria at a temperature of 134degrees Celsius? None!!!!

Is it bad?

Well, in my opinion, not really. It does limit what dentists can use to whiten teeth, it also seems to limit in-surgery options for whitening discolored teeth in children. In fact, tooth whitening in anyone under 18 is illegal and cannot be carried out. This is where my main gripe is. If a 13-year-old girl who has a black front tooth, due to knocking it a few years previously, comes to me wanting the tooth whitened, as she is getting bullied at school. Going by the letter of the law, I cannot whiten this tooth. I can drill the enamel off of it, and place a ceramic crown (which may compromise the longevity of the tooth), but I cannot whiten it! Madness! I think some dentists (and I am in no way recommending this) may still whiten the child’s tooth, and stand by their clinical beliefs that this is in the patient’s best interest.

One very important point is this method and restriction is only applied to EU countries, so in America, China, Australia, etc etc etc dentists are able to whiten teeth using the higher (and very effective) concentration of peroxide gel

So, in summary…

Tooth Whitening can only be carried out by dentists and those on the dental register.

Power Whitening such as Zoom! using anything above 6% hydrogen peroxide is now illegal!

Natural Smiles provides Legal tooth whitening to high standards

Thanks for Dr. N Parmar for his input in collating this information in an easy to read, simple format

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I didn't visit the dentist for 17yrs due to a phobia. Although my teeth were okay I had gum disease. I decided to have Invisaligns and 4 veneers on the top set of teeth. Dr Waghela put me completely at ease through the whole process which took about a year all together. I'm over the moon with the results. My teeth look so natural. I never used to smile in photos but now I'll be smiling like a Cheshire cat! Thanks to the whole team at Natural Smiles. I would highly recommend them. Andy Clarke.

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10:34 05 Oct 22

Having spent most of my lifetime in a dental practice, I was apprehensive when I needed private treatment for some dental implants to replace quite a few missing teeth. Dr Bhavnish has been nothing but amazing! He explained the process thoroughly, addressed any concerns and made sure I was comfortable throughout the whole procedure. The aftercare has been fabulous too. I would recommend him and his practice with my eyes closed.

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12:04 05 Jul 22

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07:26 29 Oct 21

My initial consultation was a couple of years ago before Covid began so my journey from start to finish was pretty long. During this time the amazing staff at Natural Smiles kept in constant contact with me and Kizzy was exceptional and professional in dealing with all of my questions and schedules for treatment. Dr Waghela is by far the best dentist I have ever dealt with and the results he’s achieved are outstanding. I’m so happy with my new bridge and veneers it looks stunning, I can’t stop showing off my Natural Smile. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this cosmetic practice to anyone looking for great results and a for a company that treat you like a film star.

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16:33 02 Oct 21

Had a great experience! Everybody was super friendly and I was in a lot of pain following my wisdom tooth dramas but thanks to these guys I was fine within a day or so! Thank you for the super fast service and availability and continue being awesome! :)

Margherita Ellis-yorke

13:25 27 Jul 21

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Marc O'Donnell

18:12 23 Jun 21

Amazing place i am really happy i came to natural smiles. Dr Anubha Pareek is really friendly and puts you at ease straight away. You even get to watch netflix whilst you have your treatments! Anubha and her assistant are amazing. Many thanks :-)

Neha Bhayani

06:45 27 Apr 21

After years of having an uneven smile and consultations with different dental practices, I came across Natural smiles. Dr Waghela went through the options I had, took into consideration how I felt about each treatment option and was able to recommend which would work best for me. The treatment was exactly how he explained and immediately I could see results. Overall I am extremely happy with the result and it turned out exactly how I wanted. I would definitely recommend anyone to visit this practice, as all staff are extremely friendly and attentive. Dr Waghela took the time to understand what my issue was and really made a difference!

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TOOTH WHITENING – A Change in the Law

17th March 2013

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