Advice on Teeth Whitening Discussion Thread

Teethwhiteninguk

brook2jack wrote: »

I'm sorry but alot of what you have posted is highly inaacurate

Damage from home products...... which? reported over 60% of people buying home bleaching products suffered pain.http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/aug/20/illegal-tooth-whitening-online

In Australia the law has changed to limit the amount of hydrogen peroxide in take home kits and moves are afoot to completely ban them
http://bitemagazine.com.au/index.php/accc-takes-on-unsafe-teeth-whiteners/

In the US each individual state makes its own law in this regard and many have already restricted the concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

Home kits can and do damage teeth. Any dentist will have seen many people with damage http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1282977/DIY-dazzlers-High-Street-tooth-whiteners-test.html

It makes perfect sense to follow the NHS advice http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/teeth-whitening.aspx

Finally a dentist spends years studying what is a healthy mouth and what is not. If you have proof they are breaking the law then report to the GDC. But remember as per previous posts in 2011 a few months after the law came into force trading standards issued a statement that they were happy for dentists only to use peroxide bleaching products.

Yes, I do have proof and so do millions of patients.

Yes, a number of beauticians were given permission to use peroxide too by trading standards. Never the less they were breaking the law.

Teethwhiteninguk

brook2jack wrote: »

I and most dental professionals have not been led by the GDC.

Weekly we see the damage done by this fashionable fad.

Only recently I had to do a root treatment on an 18 year old with not a filling in her mouth who was bought whitening from a beautician as a Valentine's present from her boyfriend.

It made one tooth in particular so sensitive the nerve died. She is so embarrassed and doesn't want to upset her boyfriend she won't sue the beautician, even to protect others from the same harm.

Most dentists have seen this sort of damage and I believe the Facebook site was started by an encounter with an illegal whitener in a shop who offered to whiten someone's teeth when they had been told they were not suitable by a dentist. I turn down about 60% of people who want whitening as it would damage people's oral health.

So you are not involved with BABTAC as previously posted.

You are missing the point, people who hurt others should be challenged, but this is the role of the authorities.

The legislation is being misrepresented by you and others.

People who are trading legally should not be harrassed by dentists or dental practice managers.

Teethwhiteninguk

Teethwhiteninguk wrote: »

Once again you are posting inaccuracies have you read the report properly

“Consumers should be extremely cautious before undertaking any DIY teeth whitening treatment and should not use kits that contain more than 6 per cent hydrogen peroxide and/or more than 18 per cent carbamide peroxide.”

The ADA deems 3%HP as safe in the USA.

Toothsmith

Go and live there then

They also deem it 'safe' to buy a firearm with no background checks!

Teethwhiteninguk

Toothsmith wrote: »

Go and live there then

They also deem it 'safe' to buy a firearm with no background checks!

That is the grown up reply I might expect from a UK dental professional here! And the type made by the one that has all his postings removed elsewhere!

We should feel even safer that the EU rules are more stringent than elsewhere in the world, but maybe not by all the UK dental surgeons!

Toothsmith

Teethwhiteninguk wrote: »

And the type made by the one that has all his postings removed elsewhere!

Eh????????????? :think:

brook2jack

Other than the fact that illegal whiteners want to continue to make money from the public please tell me how seeing a beautician who has had three hours training in the following taken from an illegal tooth whiteners website is better qualified or safer than a dentist to prescribe tooth whitening and I quote

The course will cover:
1. Initial Consultation
2. Patient assessment
3. Identifying Gum Disease
4. Identifying staining profiles
5. Identifying fillings, veneers, crowns/cavities
6. Navigating consent forms
7. Identifying unsuitable patients
8. Technical profile of dental bleaching
9. Overview of dental materials
10. Safety profiles
11. Teeth whitening demonstration
12. Practical hands on experience
13. Teeth whitening protocols 14. Business development
15. Growing your business
16. Full DBT certification

" end of quote. There is no nationally recognised qualification in dental whitening, no exam anyone can pay for the equipment and spiel and be putting chemical in a member of the public's body tomorrow.

All you have to do is go to stamp out illegal tooth whitening Facebook site to see photographs of people who are deemed successes by illegal whiteners despite the obvious burns on their gums , obvious UN treated dental disease which will have been exacerbated by their whitening. If these are deemed successes what are the failures like that don't get their photographs published on websites?

I am sorry that despite you being a dental technician you have had bad experiences at a dentist. Fortunately the UK public are overwhelmingly satisfied with their dentist (88%) an even greater proportion than doctors.
This chimes with the over 80% who believe only dentists should carry out tooth whitening.

Finally you may want to read a selection of stories from people damaged on this forum , there are several on this thread including Clare who had whitening using a "legal" bicarbonate of soda system with a beautician and I quote

"Hi, I'm looking for some advice (wish I'd seen this thread beforehand!)....

On Friday 15th Feb, 2013 me and my hubby went to a 'salon' for laser tooth whitening following recommendation from numerous people.
I'm petrified of the dentist's so specifically asked the lady doing the procedure if it would hurt and if it was damaging to teeth, to which she replied 'no and no'

We had 3 x 15 min blasts under the laser, the 2nd being extremely painful but we managed to persevere with the pain. The after pains that followed were horrific! Totally excruciating ! These lasted a good 6 hours, and painkillers didn't have any effect. We finally managed to fall asleep in the early hours after hours of rolling around in sheer torturous pain.
The following day I was unable to brush my teeth without pain around the gums, where they'd whitened during treatment. A week on and I have just switched back from using a baby toothbrush for a week!
Both of us feel they are getting better each day but feel they are more sensitive than before. My hubby still feels pain when eating and drinking and I do when eating hard foods.

I have messaged the lady numerous times keeping her informed of our hell and last night she offered us £40 back, out of the £120.. I obviously turned this down but apparently I'm being unreasonable

Anyone thinking of laser whitening please be aware that there is a potential risk of severe agonising pain following the procedure.

I've since heard that if they're not on the dental register then this treatment is illegal, but is it? She claims no peroxide was used......"

Any thing placed on teeth that whitens them has the potential to damage, this poor lady and her husband regret not following the advice given by the NHS http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/teeth-whitening.aspx

brook2jack

And a bit more detail on the Lona Jamous case and the High Court ruling quote

"In the recent case of General Dental Council v Jamous, the High Court has allowed an appeal and held that tooth-whitening is a treatment “usually” performed by dentists and therefore constituted the practice of dentistry under the Dentists Act 1984. Consequently, a person not qualified as a dentist should be prohibited from providing such treatment.

In the earlier ruling, a Magistrates’ Court found that tooth-whitening did not constitute the practice of dentistry. The respondent, Lorna Jamous, had argued that since tooth-whitening products were available on the market, anybody could treat themselves and therefore the practice was comparable to parents cleaning their children’s teeth.

The General Dental Council appealed the ruling.

The High Court held that:

1. Tooth-whitening constituted the practice of dentistry and therefore a non-dentist was prohibited from providing it by section 38 and section 41 of the Dentists Act 1984; and

2. The general public had to be protected from receiving treatment from those not qualified to give it. It was not relevant whether it could also be performed in a domestic context. When a parent brushed a child’s teeth, he or she was not providing treatment to the child and was not practicing a profession.

As a consequence of this ruling, only dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists (working to the prescription of a dentist) are allowed to carry out tooth whitening."

welshdent

I await the usual opinionated reply to a bunch of facts ;-)

welshdent

Toothsmith wrote: »

Eh????????????? :think:

That's what I thought too!