Urgent warning about teeth whitening

[BotoxBoy]

Southport beautician who illegally offered teeth whitening is fined after investigation - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo

Hi Geeks,

Please have a read of the newspaper article in the link about non-dentists performing teeth whitening. This is one of a few cases happening locally and nationally for those doing teeth whitening who are not registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

It always was a criminal offence, but similarly to BT's doing botox and fillers, there are loads of practitioners out there trying to circumvent the law to make money and unfortunately there are still 'training' companies offering to train BT's to do teeth whitening despite the increasing prospect of them being fined thousands of pounds.

Hope nobody even THINKS of handing over a PENNY to these training companies as they will be nowhere to be seen when you're up in court!

 

[lillamy]

Southport beautician who illegally offered teeth whitening is fined after investigation - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo

Hi Geeks,

Please have a read of the newspaper article in the link about non-dentists performing teeth whitening. This is one of a few cases happening locally and nationally for those doing teeth whitening who are not registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

It always was a criminal offence, but similarly to BT's doing botox and fillers, there are loads of practitioners out there trying to circumvent the law to make money and unfortunately there are still 'training' companies offering to train BT's to do teeth whitening despite the increasing prospect of them being fined thousands of pounds.

Hope nobody even THINKS of handing over a PENNY to these training companies as they will be nowhere to be seen when you're up in court!

I dont understand how it is possible for training companies to even offer training within this to BT if these are the regulations and so on.. would never get involved with this or go to anyone else than my dentist to have my teeth whitened!

 

[BotoxBoy]

I dont understand how it is possible for training companies to even offer training within this to BT if these are the regulations and so on.. would never get involved with this or go to anyone else than my dentist to have my teeth whitened!

Unscrupulous people will tell BT's anything to take their money! It's not illegal to train them in it but it's illegal for them to practice.

More worryingly this isn't actually new news but BT's have been hoping it will go under the radar but the GDC are after even the single therapists like the one in the article.

Another businessman got fined over £6000 before her as well plus legal costs which would sink anyone's business in these tough times...

Plus all the big companies, suppliers and pharmacies are tightening up on Botox and are pushing the government to make dermal fillers prescription only so this while area of 'medical aesthetics' could end up losing people their businesses rather than earning them a living if they are not doctors, dentists or registered nurses.

 

[Male Storme]

I dont understand how it is possible for training companies to even offer training within this to BT if these are the regulations and so on.. would never get involved with this or go to anyone else than my dentist to have my teeth whitened!

The training companies offer EU approved products, with no peroxide.

I assume she was using something like a 30% peroxide, which dentists use. You can actually buy the 30% peroxide on ebay, none of the training companies I have seen at the beauty shows, provide these products to beauty therapists.

 

[BotoxBoy]

The training companies offer EU approved products, with no peroxide.

I assume she was using something like a 30% peroxide, which dentists use. You can actually buy the 30% peroxide on ebay, none of the training companies I have seen at the beauty shows, provide these products to beauty therapists.

Even the no peroxide agents can burn the gums. BT's and non dentists wouldn't be able to manage the complications...

I wouldn't do any laser teeth or bleaching or anything like that even though I'm a nurse.

 

[Male Storme]

As long as the Hydrogen peroxide is below 0.1% it is a legal procedure.

This is likely to be increased to 6% by the EU when finally passed.

Here is some info.

http://www.uber-beauty.com/pdf/legal.pdf.pdf

And the full House of Lords judgement

House of Lords - Optident Limited and Another v Secretary of State For Trade and Industry and Another

There will however always be the ones out there, who will purchase Dentistry products and use them on clients, that is illegal.

 

[lisa.sharrock]

Think I've been scammed by a teeth whitening company.

Stupidly, after receiving an email, I rang and made an appointment for me and Fiance to have our teeth whitened. Thankfully I only handed over a deposit of £20 and we made our appointments.

2 subsequent appointments were cancelled, the first one with only 2 days notice. The second one, no notice period whatsover, I tried to locate the clinic, couldn't find it and then rang the company who said, oh, did you not get our email, you appointment has been cancelled!

After me ranting for a while about being unprofessional, they said they would refund any monies paid... That was 3 weeks ago, despite me sending an email, leaving messages etc. Unfortunately the last time I rang their contact number all I got was an answer machine message saying their voicemail was full and no messages could be left - hmmmmmm!!

I've since contacted Trading Standards...

Soooooo, if anyone has received any email from a company called Pro Teeth, I'd be very wary if you've parted with any cash...

 

[pinky lou]

I don't understand how/why people would want anyone other then a dentist anywhere near their teeth.

Your teeth are fragile. Your diet and not brushing correctly can cause damage to them. So imagine what damage someone who's not got a clue about teeth can do by putting chemicals on them.

I cut my hair it will grow back. I break a nail it will grow. I damage my teeth and the damage is irreversible.

When peoples teeth are damaged, or they lose a tooth suddenly the dentist is the place to be.

Seriously the dentist may charge more to bleach teeth, but your paying for a guard made especially to your mouth, professional products and of corse the dentists expertise.

Sorry to anyone who isn't a dentist that offers this but you might get taught how to apply/remove the bleaching product but you don't know about teeth.

Its the same all over unfortunately. My opinion is stick to what your nvq trained at. Short courses should be for people already within that career not people willing to pay a couple of hundred to be a "qualified" expert.

 

[classixuk]

I don't understand how/why people would want anyone other then a dentist anywhere near their teeth.

Your teeth are fragile. Your diet and not brushing correctly can cause damage to them. So imagine what damage someone who's not got a clue about teeth can do by putting chemicals on them.

I cut my hair it will grow back. I break a nail it will grow. I damage my teeth and the damage is irreversible.

When peoples teeth are damaged, or they lose a tooth suddenly the dentist is the place to be.

Seriously the dentist may charge more to bleach teeth, but your paying for a guard made especially to your mouth, professional products and of corse the dentists expertise.

Sorry to anyone who isn't a dentist that offers this but you might get taught how to apply/remove the bleaching product but you don't know about teeth.

Its the same all over unfortunately. My opinion is stick to what your nvq trained at. Short courses should be for people already within that career not people willing to pay a couple of hundred to be a "qualified" expert.

I am so with you on this.

It actually surprised me how many people willingly went along to a beauty therapist and paid £100 for their teeth to be whitened. There is so much other stuff to consider such as potential gum erosion, damage to the teeth, loss of enamel etc.

Dentists study as long as doctors.

A 2 year NVQ in beauty does not a doctor make.

 

[KayaPapaya]

I don't understand how/why people would want anyone other then a dentist anywhere near their teeth.

Your teeth are fragile. Your diet and not brushing correctly can cause damage to them. So imagine what damage someone who's not got a clue about teeth can do by putting chemicals on them.

I cut my hair it will grow back. I break a nail it will grow. I damage my teeth and the damage is irreversible.

When peoples teeth are damaged, or they lose a tooth suddenly the dentist is the place to be.

Seriously the dentist may charge more to bleach teeth, but your paying for a guard made especially to your mouth, professional products and of corse the dentists expertise.

Sorry to anyone who isn't a dentist that offers this but you might get taught how to apply/remove the bleaching product but you don't know about teeth.

Its the same all over unfortunately. My opinion is stick to what your nvq trained at. Short courses should be for people already within that career not people willing to pay a couple of hundred to be a "qualified" expert.

I completely agree with you.

And it's probably pretty much how a lot of hairdressers feel about people carrying out hair extensions without being hairdressers:/

 

[Tomme]

I always thought to do Botox a doctor had to prescribe it to the person who will be using it no matter if your a nurse or just a regular joe who has learned.
I'm now agreeing more on the teeth whitening as iv done my own and had "trauma" and as the above poster has said about extensions, there is a lot of arguments on here about that matter, I will just say that with my views on it it's best to keep quiet lol xoxo

 

[BotoxBoy]

There's all sorts of debates been had previously but the aim is to alert anyone thinking of doing teeth whitening to not risk their money even on the training only to end up on the wrong side of the law ;-)

 

[Princess Layla]

There was a teeth whitening course on grouping the other day - I wonder how many signed up? :/

 

[Bonkers]

It's about time that they toughened up on this unfortunatly it's still not public knowledge that it's illegal to practice teeth whitening and I wish something more was done to make people aware of this, there's one near me advertising as a Harley street trained teeth whitening technician People often see Harley street and think its automatically legal but it doesn't mean anything g they've just been in a course somewhere on Harley street. It didn't register then with the gdc! Grrrr! Anyway let's hope more and more people get prosecuted!

 

[geeg]

I don't understand how/why people would want anyone other then a dentist anywhere near their teeth.

Your teeth are fragile. Your diet and not brushing correctly can cause damage to them. So imagine what damage someone who's not got a clue about teeth can do by putting chemicals on them.

I cut my hair it will grow back. I break a nail it will grow. I damage my teeth and the damage is irreversible.

When peoples teeth are damaged, or they lose a tooth suddenly the dentist is the place to be.

Seriously the dentist may charge more to bleach teeth, but your paying for a guard made especially to your mouth, professional products and of corse the dentists expertise.

Sorry to anyone who isn't a dentist that offers this but you might get taught how to apply/remove the bleaching product but you don't know about teeth.

Its the same all over unfortunately. My opinion is stick to what your nvq trained at. Short courses should be for people already within that career not people willing to pay a couple of hundred to be a "qualified" expert.

TALK ABOUT SHORT COURSES .. THERE IS A GUY HERE IN SPAIN WHO DOES WEEKEND COURSES for others and he only just trained himself (probably another weekend course?

Absolutely bonkers to go to anyone other than a dentist to get your teeth whitend ... my dental technician told me she has been a certified dental technician for more than 25 years and even she cant legally touch a persons teeth.

Absolutely crackers! Even my dentist wont do it. Teeth whitening destroys tooth enamel every time you have it done.

 

[tanfastic]

I always thought to do Botox a doctor had to prescribe it to the person who will be using it no matter if your a nurse or just a regular joe who has learned.
I'm now agreeing more on the teeth whitening as iv done my own and had "trauma" and as the above poster has said about extensions, there is a lot of arguments on here about that matter, I will just say that with my views on it it's best to keep quiet lol xoxo

I was thinking about you when reading this and hoped you would see this post, hope your gums have recovered:hug:

 

[Adie]

Hi there,

I am concerned to read the posts above.

I have carried out nearly 2000 treatments without any problems. Many of my clients are doctors and nurses. I have also received compliments from dentists about my treatments as well as my health and safety protocols.

Unfortunately, the GDC are misrepresenting cases in the media and on the internet and I have taken this matter up with my MP and the relevant government departments. Teeth whitening is not illegal, but the products some people including dentists are, for example Zoom (which contains 25%HP). The legal limit is 0.1% for everyone until 31/10/12. After that date, dentists can use 0.1-6% only. This means no more power or laser teeth whitening for dentists. Although, I have seen one advertising gentle non peroxide treatments (not chlorine dioxide).

Here is a quote from a dentist:
"Dentists of which I am one, have a strong lobby in the UK and an MP in parliament trying to get the EU law changed so that tooth whitening can only be performed by dentists, it is currently legal for non dentists to perform tooth whitening, but even dentists should only perform tooth whitening if they use gel that is under a certain strength of hydrogen peroxide concentration, but it’s a brave trading standards that takes a dentist to court on that, they won’t, the dentist lobby is too strong. There are many scare stories in the press (daily mail/sun etc)all to this end, dentist are mainly trying to protect their incomes by lobbying for this, it just takes the occasional bad publicity that comes from shady operators like style smile to reflect on all other beauty spas/salons. I believe in fair comment that's why I'm giving my opinion.
The best recommendation is one from a friend or family member, be it for using a beauty spa/salon or dentist, not all are the same, look at breast augmentation as an example, I presume you would ask a cosmetic surgeon how many procedures he’d undertaken wouldn’t you? Stop being a wuss, ask, ask, ask, an experienced practitioner would love to tell you how many treatments they’ve performed (you won’t be able to get them to shut up), insist on the most experienced practitioner. Please be open minded, there are strong lobbys at work trying to discredit spas/salons, so take note of reviews on websites like these, but also factor in what I have said. A lot of dentists haven't a clue about tooth whitening because they have little practical experience but no one questions them. Think who would you prefer to change your car tyres, quick fit or a car dealer. I’m sure my colleagues will hate me for airing these views, but it’s still a free country, so please don’t shoot the messenger, there are bad salon/spas and bad dentists too."

 

[BotoxBoy]

Hi there,

I am concerned to read the posts above.

I have carried out nearly 2000 treatments without any problems. Many of my clients are doctors and nurses. I have also received compliments from dentists about my treatments as well as my health and safety protocols.

Unfortunately, the GDC are misrepresenting cases in the media and on the internet and I have taken this matter up with my MP and the relevant government departments. Teeth whitening is not illegal, but the products some people including dentists are, for example Zoom (which contains 25%HP). The legal limit is 0.1% for everyone until 31/10/12. After that date, dentists can use 0.1-6% only. This means no more power or laser teeth whitening for dentists. Although, I have seen one advertising gentle non peroxide treatments (not chlorine dioxide).

Here is a quote from a dentist:
"Dentists of which I am one, have a strong lobby in the UK and an MP in parliament trying to get the EU law changed so that tooth whitening can only be performed by dentists, it is currently legal for non dentists to perform tooth whitening, but even dentists should only perform tooth whitening if they use gel that is under a certain strength of hydrogen peroxide concentration, but it’s a brave trading standards that takes a dentist to court on that, they won’t, the dentist lobby is too strong. There are many scare stories in the press (daily mail/sun etc)all to this end, dentist are mainly trying to protect their incomes by lobbying for this, it just takes the occasional bad publicity that comes from shady operators like style smile to reflect on all other beauty spas/salons. I believe in fair comment that's why I'm giving my opinion.
The best recommendation is one from a friend or family member, be it for using a beauty spa/salon or dentist, not all are the same, look at breast augmentation as an example, I presume you would ask a cosmetic surgeon how many procedures he’d undertaken wouldn’t you? Stop being a wuss, ask, ask, ask, an experienced practitioner would love to tell you how many treatments they’ve performed (you won’t be able to get them to shut up), insist on the most experienced practitioner. Please be open minded, there are strong lobbys at work trying to discredit spas/salons, so take note of reviews on websites like these, but also factor in what I have said. A lot of dentists haven't a clue about tooth whitening because they have little practical experience but no one questions them. Think who would you prefer to change your car tyres, quick fit or a car dealer. I’m sure my colleagues will hate me for airing these views, but it’s still a free country, so please don’t shoot the messenger, there are bad salon/spas and bad dentists too."

Teeth whitening is classed as a dental procedure. It is illegal for non registered dental practitioners such as a dental nurse or a dentist registered with the GDC.

It's nothing to do with the product. If you apply something to someone's teeth to whiten them in a salon etc then this is a dental treatment. This is illegal.

I have personally written to the General Dental Council who have confirmed this. Not only this, they also informed they are stepping up the momentum on prosecutions and looking for more businesses like yours to make examples of!

If I was doing these treatments and was not a dentist I'd be very concerned.

 

[geeg]

Teeth whitening is classed as a dental procedure. It is illegal for non registered dental practitioners such as a dental nurse or a dentist registered with the GDC.

It's nothing to do with the product. If you apply something to someone's teeth to whiten them in a salon etc then this is a dental treatment. This is illegal.

I have personally written to the General Dental Council who have confirmed this. Not only this, they also informed they are stepping up the momentum on prosecutions and looking for more businesses like yours to make examples of!

If I was doing these treatments and was not a dentist I'd be very concerned.

I completely agree.

My dentist has a wonderful dental nurse who assists him. She has done this job for more than 25 years and tells me it is illegal for her to put her fingers in anyone's mouth.

So how can untrained people who have never had more than 1 or 2 days training be allowed to do this? It is shameful. I would never let anyone other than a dentist whiten my teeth and my dentist won't do it on principal as any whitening procedure, destroys part of the enamel!

I'm glad they are going to go after these charlatans.

 

[Haylo_Therapies]

Teeth whitening is classed as a dental procedure. It is illegal for non registered dental practitioners such as a dental nurse or a dentist registered with the GDC.

It's nothing to do with the product. If you apply something to someone's teeth to whiten them in a salon etc then this is a dental treatment. This is illegal.

I have personally written to the General Dental Council who have confirmed this. Not only this, they also informed they are stepping up the momentum on prosecutions and looking for more businesses like yours to make examples of!

If I was doing these treatments and was not a dentist I'd be very concerned.

Absolutely!

I would never even consider teeth whitening. But if I ever did, I would certainly make sure it was my dentist who knows my teeth more than anyone putting the bleach in my mouth and not someone who is not even legally allowed to do so! It's not like getting your hair bleached, it is going in your mouth and near your gums. I can't even imagine the damage caused by this procedure.