Tooth whitening is a safe and effective way to brighten your smile when provided by a dentist.
One of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments in the UK, tooth whitening is a safe and relatively quick dental treatment to improve your smile without any drilling or injections.
Tooth whitening is a dental treatment
In the UK, tooth whitening can only be legally provided by a dentist or other registered dental care professional (such as a dental hygienist, therapist or clinical dental technician working to a dentist’s prescription).
This is to protect patients and ensure the treatment is effective and safe. A dentist has the training and skills to carry out a tooth whitening assessment before starting treatment, to help detect any problems that could be made worse by tooth whitening or that might make tooth whitening unsafe, eg:
- Decayed or broken teeth that could make whitening unsafe.
- Infections that could be ‘supercharged’ by tooth whitening.
- Exposed roots that might become very sensitive and/or not brighten as much with tooth whitening.
- Dental restorations (such as caps, crowns, fillings and veneers) that wont change colour and may mean tooth whitening will not work or will require additional treatment steps.
- Internal or external tooth staining that might not respond as expected to tooth whitening.
This dental assessment with tooth whitening specifically in mind is different to just a normal dental checkup, and skipping it could leave you with pain, uneven results, or damage to your teeth and gums.
Age restriction
Tooth whitening can only usually be provided to adult patients aged 18 and above.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Like other elective treatments (I.E. treatments that are not strictly necessary) and that carry any potential risk, tooth whitening is usually postponed until after pregnancy and breastfeeding as a precaution.
The risks of illegal tooth whitening
Since tooth whitening can only legally be provided by a dentist in the UK, any beauticians, salons or websites that offer tooth whitening without a dentist present to provide at least a tooth whitening assessment and prescription, are breaking the law. It’s also illegal for manufacturers and suppliers to sell the safe and effective tooth whitening products to non-dentists, so any businesses providing illegal tooth whitening must source their products from the black market. These black market tooth whitening products, even when labelled correctly, often contain the wrong ingredients or concentrations and can be dangerous.
Common problems reported from illegal whitening include:
- Chemical burns
- Severe sensitivity
- Irreversible damage to tooth enamel and dentine
- Missed diagnosis of dental problems
- ‘Supercharged’ infections
- Limited or no support if any problems occur
- No/inadequate insurance or indemnity of provider to help when things go wrong
Peroxide free whitening
Some illegal tooth whitening providers may suggest products labelled or advertised as ‘peroxide-free’ (e.g. sodium perborate) are treated differently but this is incorrect. Peroxide-free tooth whitening is still dentistry and can only be legally and safely provided by registered dental professionals.
Laser whitening
Most products advertised as ‘laser whitening’ are misleading most systems use a LED light (not a laser) and purely for dramatic effect with no whitening benefit. Some whitening systems use a deactivated whitening gel which is then reactivated with a LED light – still for no whitening benefit.
The few whitening systems that do use real lasers also use deactivated whitening gel that is reactivated with a laser – mainly for real dramatic effect – but still with little to no added whitening benefit.
How to find a safe provider
If you are considering tooth whitening:
- Make sure that as a part of your tooth whitening, you are provided with a tooth whitening assessment by a qualified dentist registered with the General Dental Council — you can search the GDC register online.
- Make sure the whitening system used is CE-marked and supplied by your treating dentist.
Your dentist will guide you through the process, explain what results you can expect, and ensure the treatment is safe for your mouth.
Key points to remember
- Tooth whitening is safe and effective when provided by a dental professional.
- Tooth whitening is a dental treatment not a beauty treatment.
- Only dentists and qualified dental care professionals can legally and safely provide it.
- A dental assessment is essential to check safety and suitability.
- Illegal whitening can put your oral health at serious risk.
For safe and effective results, always see a registered dental professional.
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