Teeth whitening products?

[essentia]

I agree that non trained dental professionals should not be attempting this but I feel this once again highlights the need for making the role of BT clear. I am an advocate of registration especially where some of the other areas have been grey in the beauty world. I am not surprised some get confused about what they can offer and train in - companies should also take responsibility. Registration would provide a framework to support properly trained BT and protect the public from ill advised practices.

 

[lady R]

sorry gotta laugh, after reading the rather heated debate there's an ad below it all for Nova White teeth whitening! classic!!!

 

[ste]

I had a loverly girl come to my salon a few years ago offering teeth whitening, i asked what she did befor this she said she worked for bmw !!!!! Not sure what she had to do to start offering this service but sure she wasnt a dentist

 

[collin]

sorry gotta laugh, after reading the rather heated debate there's an ad below it all for Nova White teeth whitening! classic!!!

makes you kind of wonder what the poor sponsers of the add must be thinking doesnt it :hug:

 

[kitycat1666]

Hi, I'm really disturbed by the amount of people who spout their opinions as though they were facts on this matter, so feel the need to rant...

I have a teeth whitening business and when I was training I shopped around for the best. I was trained by an organisation who also train dentists to do the same procedure. I have to say that it's not rocket science and you certainly don't need years of dental training to do it but being aware of and practicing good health and safety procedures is paramount.

I was offered training that lasted just over an hour but by some companies but chose to pay much more for comprehensive one-to-one tuition so that I can offer my clients the best service. I also only specialise in tooth whitening so it's all I do meaning that I can become more skilled and knowledgable in this area than if I was just doing the odd treatment in between facials, nails etc.

It is not illegal for a none dentist to whiten teeth. It is illegal for a none dentist to practice dentistry - teeth whitening is classed as a cosmetic and not a medical procedure. There are silly rules and regulations - for instance I am not allowed to clean clients teeth before hand, I must ask them to do this themselves but I AM allowed to apply whitening products to their teeth. There are also regulations regarding what chemicals/concentrations none dentists can use. However, good training ensures you are aware of all of these things.

I also have to point out that I first had my teeth whitened twelve years ago at the dentist at a cost of £600 - great result but really expensive. I then tried trays which are very uncomforatable and I now know that it's not ideal for your soft tissue to be in contact with these chemicals for hours at a time. A couple of years ago before training, I went to a none-dentist clinic for whitening and it was excellent and I received exactly the same procedure as carried out by the dentist but it cost me £130!

All these years later and with many whitening procedures practiced, my dentist tells me that me teeth are in excellent condition. And just for the record, dentists can and do use much stronger chemicals than none-dentists so if you really think teeth whitening is harmful then potentially you would get more damage by going to a dentist. Everything we eat and drink causes a certain amount of damage to our teeth but research has shown that a session of teeth whitening causes comparible damage to drinking one glass of fruit juice!

I really do believe that most of the bad publicity and scare mongering is generated by dentists, who have lost a lucrative part of their income for which they were charging so much over the odds for but when carried out in salons, in line with regulations and subject to correct and thorough training, this practice IS NOT illegal!

Ten

 

[collin]

Hi, I'm really disturbed by the amount of people who spout their opinions as though they were facts on this matter, so feel the need to rant...

I have a teeth whitening business and when I was training I shopped around for the best. I was trained by an organisation who also train dentists to do the same procedure. I have to say that it's not rocket science and you certainly don't need years of dental training to do it but being aware of and practicing good health and safety procedures is paramount.

I was offered training that lasted just over an hour but by some companies but chose to pay much more for comprehensive one-to-one tuition so that I can offer my clients the best service. I also only specialise in tooth whitening so it's all I do meaning that I can become more skilled and knowledgable in this area than if I was just doing the odd treatment in between facials, nails etc.

It is not illegal for a none dentist to whiten teeth. It is illegal for a none dentist to practice dentistry - teeth whitening is classed as a cosmetic and not a medical procedure. There are silly rules and regulations - for instance I am not allowed to clean clients teeth before hand, I must ask them to do this themselves but I AM allowed to apply whitening products to their teeth. There are also regulations regarding what chemicals/concentrations none dentists can use. However, good training ensures you are aware of all of these things.

I also have to point out that I first had my teeth whitened twelve years ago at the dentist at a cost of £600 - great result but really expensive. I then tried trays which are very uncomforatable and I now know that it's not ideal for your soft tissue to be in contact with these chemicals for hours at a time. A couple of years ago before training, I went to a none-dentist clinic for whitening and it was excellent and I received exactly the same procedure as carried out by the dentist but it cost me £130!

All these years later and with many whitening procedures practiced, my dentist tells me that me teeth are in excellent condition. And just for the record, dentists can and do use much stronger chemicals than none-dentists so if you really think teeth whitening is harmful then potentially you would get more damage by going to a dentist. Everything we eat and drink causes a certain amount of damage to our teeth but research has shown that a session of teeth whitening causes comparible damage to drinking one glass of fruit juice!

I really do believe that most of the bad publicity and scare mongering is generated by dentists, who have lost a lucrative part of their income for which they were charging so much over the odds for but when carried out in salons, in line with regulations and subject to correct and thorough training, this practice IS NOT illegal!

Ten

Amen to that :hug:

 

[mistymoo]

Hi all, I am thinking of introducing lazer teeth whitening.. Just wanted some advice, which is the best company to go with? And how much do you charge? Is it good profit??Obviously i am the very early stages; I need to enquire about training first. Thanks in advance x

 

[redhead]

Hi, I'm really disturbed by the amount of people who spout their opinions as though they were facts on this matter, so feel the need to rant...

I have a teeth whitening business and when I was training I shopped around for the best. I was trained by an organisation who also train dentists to do the same procedure. I have to say that it's not rocket science and you certainly don't need years of dental training to do it but being aware of and practicing good health and safety procedures is paramount.

I was offered training that lasted just over an hour but by some companies but chose to pay much more for comprehensive one-to-one tuition so that I can offer my clients the best service. I also only specialise in tooth whitening so it's all I do meaning that I can become more skilled and knowledgable in this area than if I was just doing the odd treatment in between facials, nails etc.

It is not illegal for a none dentist to whiten teeth. It is illegal for a none dentist to practice dentistry - teeth whitening is classed as a cosmetic and not a medical procedure. There are silly rules and regulations - for instance I am not allowed to clean clients teeth before hand, I must ask them to do this themselves but I AM allowed to apply whitening products to their teeth. There are also regulations regarding what chemicals/concentrations none dentists can use. However, good training ensures you are aware of all of these things.

I also have to point out that I first had my teeth whitened twelve years ago at the dentist at a cost of £600 - great result but really expensive. I then tried trays which are very uncomforatable and I now know that it's not ideal for your soft tissue to be in contact with these chemicals for hours at a time. A couple of years ago before training, I went to a none-dentist clinic for whitening and it was excellent and I received exactly the same procedure as carried out by the dentist but it cost me £130!

All these years later and with many whitening procedures practiced, my dentist tells me that me teeth are in excellent condition. And just for the record, dentists can and do use much stronger chemicals than none-dentists so if you really think teeth whitening is harmful then potentially you would get more damage by going to a dentist. Everything we eat and drink causes a certain amount of damage to our teeth but research has shown that a session of teeth whitening causes comparible damage to drinking one glass of fruit juice!

I really do believe that most of the bad publicity and scare mongering is generated by dentists, who have lost a lucrative part of their income for which they were charging so much over the odds for but when carried out in salons, in line with regulations and subject to correct and thorough training, this practice IS NOT illegal!

Ten

Hi I am not a nail geek but a hair geek I was just on here for a nosy. I would just like to say that I had my teeth whitened in a salon for £200 and also at a dentist who specialises in zoom teeth whitening. I had much better treatment from the salon. When I went to the dentist they got a dental assistant to carry out the packing out my mouth with cotton wool and put the barrier cream on my gums. After my treatment I was in agony within about 10 minutes she hadn't use enough protection and my lips were all burned and my gums were so sore. I left but had to return within a few hours because the pain was so unbareable. after a couple of weeks the pain in my gums and lips finely eased but I have to say I have been put off for life. Beauty Salon would get my recommendation i had absolutely no problems but yet it was the exact same procedure. Just wanted to let you know. x

 

[collin]

Hi I am not a nail geek but a hair geek I was just on here for a nosy. I would just like to say that I had my teeth whitened in a salon for £200 and also at a dentist who specialises in zoom teeth whitening. I had much better treatment from the salon. When I went to the dentist they got a dental assistant to carry out the packing out my mouth with cotton wool and put the barrier cream on my gums. After my treatment I was in agony within about 10 minutes she hadn't use enough protection and my lips were all burned and my gums were so sore. I left but had to return within a few hours because the pain was so unbareable. after a couple of weeks the pain in my gums and lips finely eased but I have to say I have been put off for life. Beauty Salon would get my recommendation i had absolutely no problems but yet it was the exact same procedure. Just wanted to let you know. x

sorry to hear of the problems you have encountered from a so called professional and good to hear that someone from this professional beauty sector has serviced you well.

This is my exact point...like any specific treatment within our profession it is imperative that we at least show some respect to those therapists within our community that undertake safe procedures that perhaps we as individuals dont necessarily agree with.

Lets get real here...someone with an electric nail file without apropriate training can undoubtedly cause more damage to a consumer than someone within the teeth whitening sector.

Its important that we respect each other..weather we privately believe that the treatments undertaken ,are in our own opinion,....sound ones:hug:

 

[hannajadem]

Interesting how this has come up as it was being discussed on 'XRAY' tonight (BBC Wales consumer programme). Certain companies are trying to get around the legal side by claiming it's a cosmetic procedure, but in order to do this, they must provide the consumer with the ingredients (which some practitioners couldn't when 'mystery shopped' on the programme). For now, it's classed as a grey area, but a point was made at the end of the programe that apparently the British Dental Council are trying to change the law to stop anyone other than dentists practising it as the ingredients are know to be harmful to a foetus during pregnancy, can affect fertility and also, in some case where the gel is not applied with a custom made mouth shield as would happen in a dental surgery, the gel can be accidentally swallowed leading to overexposure or worse. The European Commisssion is working to ban Sodium Perborate for consumer use (which would include salons therefore).

I'm quoting from the TV programme here, please don't shoot me down if you think I'm wrong, it's merely what I've heard from the BBC.

 

[kitycat1666]

Just read the transcript of the BBC programme. It centres on teeth whitening booths that have started to spring up in shopping malls. Now I wouldn't dream of suggesting they dont do a good job without actually trying them out myselves but from the transcript the woman in the booth didn't sound particularly well trained or informed.

Also, who on earth would want to get their teeth whitened in the middle of a shopping centre? I want to know that if something goes wrong, I'm going to find the culprit in the same place the next day - not packed up and working another mall at the end of the country. It just highlights my previous point about being sensible when choosing to have any procedure done.

Interesting that it's the General Dental Council kicking up a stink again (as usual). Funny that they don't actually want to ban teeth whitening because it's dangerous they just want to ban anyone else from doing it -and making a dent in their ridiculous profits.

 

[Karla]

You can now buy teeth whitening businesses they are all over?
and get insurance, my friend even does it, how can it be illegal? are you sure

 

[Karla]

super white smile

not sure you are supposed to paste links but i can pm them, just google teeth whitening business

 

[Dan_Sienna]

super white smile

not sure you are supposed to paste links but i can pm them, just google teeth whitening business

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/news.html

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/pdfs/WelshAssemblyGovernmentToothBleaching2112009.pdf

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/pdfs/DeptOfHealthSocialServices&PublicSafetyToothBleaching2912009.pdf

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/pdfs/ScottishGovernmentTeethBleaching2312009SL.pdf

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/pdfs/28January2009_Sir_Paul_Beresford_debate.pdf

http://www.bdbs.co.uk/pdfs/ScottishGovernmentTeethBleaching2312009SL.pdf

Before anyone offers tooth whitening that is a non GDC registered dentist, dental nurse under prescription (with the correct training) or dental Therapist - please read the above information.

I have read all the post on this thread and it amazes me that people that have no clinical dental training or formal qualification are looking at offering this procedure. Yes there are companies out there that will happily offer you training and products to do the procedure but how many in 12-24 months time will still be there if you have a problem after a procedure goes wrong (which it will!)

So you know my back ground, I have spent the last 6 years in the dental industry, my last position was head of marketing for the worlds 2 largest Professional Whitening Brands - Zoom and Britesmile. I have done lots of research on the procedures and also worked to understand confusing laws governing the procedures.
Just like any procedure, research what you are going to do before you do it, if you have any question that it may be a CLINICAL procedure don't do it, check with your insurance to see if they will cover you to carry out a CLINICAL procedure!

Simple as this - I could go on a day's training course to learn how to use a knife, it then doesn't mean I can go out and perform surgery a someone. Leave the Clinical procedures to the people who have trained for 7+ years and for many years on from there!

Sorry to rant on but it is frustrating to see people even think of doing clinical procedures like this with out any Clinical Qualification!!

Rant over - do your research and if you are still unsure - if you or the person carrying out whitening in your salon does NOT have a GDC registration number that you can verify then DON'T DO IT !!!! SIMPLE

 

[phototherapist]

Hi, thanks for all the great info ladies! To the last person's message, could you please tell me which product you now use, & how to contact the maker?
Thank you!:lol:

 

[Dan_Sienna]

I am going to post the following links - please be assured that the products available on the high street are different concentrations and in some cases ingredients to that the dental professionals use (legal OTC limit for Hydrogen Peroxide in whitening products is 0.1% - it would take you years to whiten teeth with these products).

The following links will hopefully provide information on how whitening works and some of the current legal elements that are happening in the dental industry. So you are all aware I worked for the world's largest suppliers of dental whitening products so have a lot of experience in this area - My opinion would be to let a dentist offer it only, even ebay and amazon have now stopped the sale of whitening products on their UK sites.

Information about how whitening works:

Van Haywood - noteably one of the world's Guru's in tooth whitening:

:: VanHaywood.com ::

British Dental Bleaching Society (BDBS) - Dental Bleaching Society | Dental Bleaching News | BDBS News
this will give you all the latest news on the legal aspects in the UK.

Everyone should seek out their own information first before offering these treatments.

 

[dandelionpoppy]

If toothwhitening is harmful to the teeth why do some dentists offer it?
Possibly the sme reason some surgeons offer extreme cosmetic surgery to individuals clearly not psychologically fit for it?

 

[ladygrey33]

Oh crap! I really wanted my teeth whiter :/

 

[superwhitesmile]

So how come dentists offer teeth whitening then lol????????

 

[smooth]

Nice little discussion going on there!!! So many factors can be brought to the table on this matter from botox or cosmetic surgey to smoking a cigarette or having a glass of wine....We dont know long term effects of any of the daily habits or consumables we dabble in and at the end of the day from what ive found most products in the tooth whitening space contain the same ingredients in retail products as what dental professionals use but mostly in lower concentrations for home use!

Anyway thanks for the feedback... will let you know what i get my hands on!

If you get reported to the GDC for carrying out teeth whitening then they will take action against you as you are carrying out a dental procedure which you cannot do if you do not have a full general dental practitioner registration. You may want to look into what happens if you sell teeth whitening systems however as you will only be supplying them not carrying out the procedure.

ALTHOUGH, you will need to make sure you have product liability insurance as if any client you sell these products to suffers harm then they will come to you to claim! Most insurance policies do not cover product liability.

It does beggar belief that anyone from any background thinks that they are capable of taking up various treatments in any area without the underpinning knowledge though.