Hi
I am amazed that so many who should know better pass off ill infomed opinion as fact. This is not a sign of education or intelligence.
For all those who have alleged teeth whitening/bleaching is illegal - it is not. Rather than simply make this comment I will now support it with evidence so you can see for yourselves:-
Tooth whitening products were confirmed as being cosmetics on 28 June 2001 by the House of Lords ruling in the case of Optident Limited V The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. This means that they fall under the EU Cosmetics Directive (implemented in the UK by the UK Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996).
The legal definition of a cosmetic product is:-
any substance or preparation intended for placing in contact with the various external part of the human body or with the teeth and mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or principally to cleaning them, perfuming them or protecting them in order to keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct body odours
Tooth whitening is therefore a cosmetic procedure and not a dental one.
The phrase teeth whitening and teeth bleaching is a slightly misleading term. The teeth are not bleached. The surface of the tooth under a microscope appears as a closely bunched group of hexagonal rods (imagine holding a bundle of pencils). A chemical is applied to the surface of the tooth which enters the gaps and breaks down the molecules that cause the staining eg tobacco, red wine, food etc. When the staining is gone the teeth are whiter. Its quite simple really.
The teeth whitening proceedure is no more difficult to learn that any other cosmetic treatment.
Tooth whitening has been practised by dentists for over 100 years. The history of modern day tooth bleaching, however, began in 1989 and is credited to Haywood and Heymann who introduced the nightguard method of vital tooth bleaching. At the same time, Omnii International (USA), working with a dentist named John Munro, developed and marketed the first commercially available home-bleaching product. Interestingly enough, this system was initially discovered quite by accident by an orthodontist named William Klusmier. He instructed a patient to use an oral antiseptic containing 10% carbamide peroxide in an orthodontic positioner, which the patient wore at night, in an effort to facilitate tissue healing. The patient returned with improved tissue health and, after using the product for an extended period of time, his teeth were significantly lighter in colour. He began using this technique to lighten teeth. From 1970 to 1975, Klusmier presented his findings at several dental meetings. Haywood and Haymann attended one of these meetings and initiated their clinical and laboratory investigations on the technique as a result.
If anyone has any questions please ask. If anyone has any comments please, please be intelligent about it and suppport what you say with evidence.
This is an excellent revenue generating business but only for those who are better informed over and above "my dentist told me".
JCW
I am amazed that so many who should know better pass off ill infomed opinion as fact. This is not a sign of education or intelligence.
For all those who have alleged teeth whitening/bleaching is illegal - it is not. Rather than simply make this comment I will now support it with evidence so you can see for yourselves:-
Tooth whitening products were confirmed as being cosmetics on 28 June 2001 by the House of Lords ruling in the case of Optident Limited V The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. This means that they fall under the EU Cosmetics Directive (implemented in the UK by the UK Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996).
The legal definition of a cosmetic product is:-
any substance or preparation intended for placing in contact with the various external part of the human body or with the teeth and mucous membranes of the oral cavity with a view exclusively or principally to cleaning them, perfuming them or protecting them in order to keep them in good condition, change their appearance or correct body odours
Tooth whitening is therefore a cosmetic procedure and not a dental one.
The phrase teeth whitening and teeth bleaching is a slightly misleading term. The teeth are not bleached. The surface of the tooth under a microscope appears as a closely bunched group of hexagonal rods (imagine holding a bundle of pencils). A chemical is applied to the surface of the tooth which enters the gaps and breaks down the molecules that cause the staining eg tobacco, red wine, food etc. When the staining is gone the teeth are whiter. Its quite simple really.
The teeth whitening proceedure is no more difficult to learn that any other cosmetic treatment.
Tooth whitening has been practised by dentists for over 100 years. The history of modern day tooth bleaching, however, began in 1989 and is credited to Haywood and Heymann who introduced the nightguard method of vital tooth bleaching. At the same time, Omnii International (USA), working with a dentist named John Munro, developed and marketed the first commercially available home-bleaching product. Interestingly enough, this system was initially discovered quite by accident by an orthodontist named William Klusmier. He instructed a patient to use an oral antiseptic containing 10% carbamide peroxide in an orthodontic positioner, which the patient wore at night, in an effort to facilitate tissue healing. The patient returned with improved tissue health and, after using the product for an extended period of time, his teeth were significantly lighter in colour. He began using this technique to lighten teeth. From 1970 to 1975, Klusmier presented his findings at several dental meetings. Haywood and Haymann attended one of these meetings and initiated their clinical and laboratory investigations on the technique as a result.
If anyone has any questions please ask. If anyone has any comments please, please be intelligent about it and suppport what you say with evidence.
This is an excellent revenue generating business but only for those who are better informed over and above "my dentist told me".
JCW
