Advice on Teeth Whitening Discussion Thread

ToothFairy306

Tooth whitening products can ONLY be legally purchased from a dentist in the UK (the law was modified as of the 31st October 2012). There is a reason websites such as Polanight.co.uk are selling whitening products at bargin prices compared to dental practitioners - they are fake!

Article published in British Dental Journal:

Product News
British Dental Journal 212, 98 (2012)
Published online: 27 January 2012 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.84

BEWARE UNSCRUPULOUS WEBSITES

Southern Dental Industries (SDI) are advising all customers to only buy SDI products through their usual dental dealer and not to be taken in by companies offering bargain basement prices. The following companies only are authorised by SDI: BDSI, Henry Schein Minerva, Budget, Kent Express, Claudius Ash, BF Mulholland, Click Dental, Oraldent, Dental Health Boutique, Precision Dental, Dental Sky, Skillbond, Dental Supply House, Survival, Dentaquip, The Dental Directory, Trycare Dental Linkline, Wright Cottrell.

There are unscrupulous websites out there who are allegedly selling products branded as Pola. SDI cannot guarantee the authenticity of products sold through unregulated dealers. They may have similar packaging, carry the SDI logo and look the same, but unless you buy your Pola products through your regular dental dealer you may be putting your patients at risk.

SDI's Pola Advanced Tooth Whitening System is only sold to registered dental professionals via authorised dental dealers.

pollypenny

Anyone who has their teeth whitened at a hairdresser or beauty parlour must be mad. A local one is advertising a bargain £99, eight shades whiter in an hour!!

How can they be allowed?

j.e.j.

pollypenny wrote: »

Anyone who has their teeth whitened at a hairdresser or beauty parlour must be mad. A local one is advertising a bargain £99, eight shades whiter in an hour!!

How can they be allowed?

Well, according to the radio programme (post #1896/7) they (the non-dentists) 'use a different process and they deny that it is illegal'. However, none of them appeared on the programme to give their side of the story.

Whether it's 'allowed' or not seems to depend on what they use. They're not allowed to use the same stuff the dentists use to whiten teeth.

I agree it's not worth the risk. This is an ongoing debate (read: war!) between the beauticians/salons who see tooth whitening as coming under 'beauty' and the dentists who argue it should come under dentistry.

brook2jack

There is no argument. Whatever system or chemical a beautiful uses it is illegal. Anyone who is not a dentist who assesses as suitable or whitens someone's teeth is illegally practicing dentistry. Here is most recent prosecution for illegal practice of dentistry by tooth whiteners http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/GDC-successfully-prosecutes-tooth-whitening-company.aspx

Its illegal. it's as black and white as that. A lot of people have already been prosecuted.

welshdent

It doesn't matter what system they use.the act of putting their fingers in someone's mouth is classed as dentistry and as such the operator must be gdc registered or it is illegal

pollypenny

To add to the irony, I taught the owner of the salon I mentioned. While she is a nice, decent young woman , she is not the brightest penny.

Toothsmith

pollypenny wrote: »

To add to the irony, I taught the owner of the salon I mentioned. While she is a nice, decent young woman , she is not the brightest penny.

Which, unfortunately, will be what the person who 'sold' her the idea of doing tooth whitening in her salon, and the kit to do it, will have played on!

totheleft

What about Crest Whitening Strips?

Apparently Dentists in USA actually recommend them to their patients

Anyone used them?

There are so many types. Which give the best results?

brook2jack

it is illegal to sell crest whitening strips in this country and the EU as they contain more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide.

Therefore anyone selling them is knowingly doing so illegally. As there is no legal way of selling them what guarantee do you have that what is being sold as genuine strips are , as they might contain anything or nothing in any concentration.

One trader has already been sent to jail this year for supplying illegal products see links above.

Which,trading standards Tec have been campaigning for years to stop eBay ,Amazon Tec advertising these illegal and potentially harmful products.

pollypenny

totheleft wrote: »

What about Crest Whitening Strips?

Apparently Dentists in USA actually recommend them to their patients

Anyone used them?

There are so many types. Which give the best results?

I bring Crest strips back every time I go to the USA and use them once a year. I use the gentlest for safety.

I used to used Listerine strips, more often. They have now been withdrawn from sale - which is a bit worrying.

Seeing myself on video with my teeth looking very yellow, against orangey lipstick had made me embarrassed, which is why I sought a whitener initially.