Safesmiles The campaign Safe dentistry Adult orthodontics Tooth whitening Dental tourism Sports Accessories When tooth whitening becomes unsafe Professional tooth whitening is a complex procedure which involves the use of powerful chemicals that can do harm to your teeth and gums if not used properly. It’s for this reason that tooth whitening carried out in the wrong hands is so dangerous. Due to the strong chemicals, when tooth whitening goes wrong it can cause the following issues: Chemical burns to the gums. Blisters on the gums. Ulceration of the gums, mouth and throat. Swollen lips. Putting your smile in danger is never worth the risk. There are two main sources of unsafe tooth whitening; DIY treatments performed at home, and illegal treatments by unqualified people. It is important that you are aware of these and avoid going down the potential harmful route. DIY tooth whitening at home Worryingly, it is quite easy to go online and purchase hydrogen peroxide (the active ingredient in professional whitening) in concentrations that are way above the legal limit of 0.1% for over-the-counter whitening products. Performing home treatments can be extremely risky and lead to several complications that need medical attention. DIY tooth whitening trends are very popular on social media. These often involve purchasing hydrogen peroxide at concentrations between 3%-5%, that’s 30 to 50 times more than the legal over-the-counter limit. Influencers with no medical background show audiences how to apply this directly on the teeth or using it as a mouth rinse. Trends like these put your oral health at risk and should be avoided at any cost. Dr Anum Noor: Online advertising of whitening Expand When people find out that I’m a dentist usually the first thing they’ll as is “how much is it to have my teeth whitened”, it’s a really common occurrence. I see so many of these companies come up on Instagram offering at home whitening and promising quick results and it’s really worrying. I’ll always send messages to their accounts to see if they are qualified dentists and are able to perform whitening safely, but I never get any responses – probably because we both know they aren’t. These Instagram photos of whitening before and afters look great to the untrained eye I’m sure, but to me I can see all the decay and tartar on the teeth and any imperfections which would indicate to me that they aren’t suitable for whitening. Sometimes the before and after photos aren’t even the same set of teeth or are actually a set of veneers! Instagram adverts tend to be the most common illegal whitening practices now I think, I see less and less whitening offered in beauty salons now. I remember a while ago I saw an advert for whitening in a salon, when I went there for a haircut and told them that it wasn’t right, and asked if they were qualified to do it and got a very frosty response – especially once I said I was a dentist – I never went back in case they would retaliate and give a horrible haircut because I had educated them on the danger they were putting people in! I had a patient come in a little while ago for a check-up and she had terribly sore gums after using an at home whitening kit after seeing it advertised online. She has a lot of complex mental health needs and lots of her self esteem issues stemmed from being self-conscious about her smile. This kind of patient you expect to come in with lots of problems because they don’t come in very often, and during her examination it was clear she did have visible decay and gum disease. Wanting a nice smile she got this kit to feel good about herself and ended up with lots of damage. These Instagram photos of whitening before and afters look great to the untrained eye I’m sure, but to me I can see all the decay and tartar on the teeth and any imperfections which would indicate to me that they aren’t suitable for whitening Illegal tooth whitening Despite being illegal, it is not uncommon to find high street beauticians and salons offering tooth whitening treatment, often claiming they have the qualifications to do so. This is simply not true. It is against the law for anyone other than a dentist (or dental hygienist or dental therapist working to the prescriptions of a dentist) to carry out tooth whitening. If you are considering tooth whitening treatment, make sure that you check that where you’re getting a service which is both legal and safe. The things to look out for are that the person carrying out the procedure is registered by the General Dental Council and that the establishment has been assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can find out whether a person is registered to perform dentistry in the UK by checking the GDC register. More information About tooth whitening Tooth whitening and the law The safest way to get a whiter smile Manage Cookie Preferences
Dr Anum Noor: Online advertising of whitening Expand When people find out that I’m a dentist usually the first thing they’ll as is “how much is it to have my teeth whitened”, it’s a really common occurrence. I see so many of these companies come up on Instagram offering at home whitening and promising quick results and it’s really worrying. I’ll always send messages to their accounts to see if they are qualified dentists and are able to perform whitening safely, but I never get any responses – probably because we both know they aren’t. These Instagram photos of whitening before and afters look great to the untrained eye I’m sure, but to me I can see all the decay and tartar on the teeth and any imperfections which would indicate to me that they aren’t suitable for whitening. Sometimes the before and after photos aren’t even the same set of teeth or are actually a set of veneers! Instagram adverts tend to be the most common illegal whitening practices now I think, I see less and less whitening offered in beauty salons now. I remember a while ago I saw an advert for whitening in a salon, when I went there for a haircut and told them that it wasn’t right, and asked if they were qualified to do it and got a very frosty response – especially once I said I was a dentist – I never went back in case they would retaliate and give a horrible haircut because I had educated them on the danger they were putting people in! I had a patient come in a little while ago for a check-up and she had terribly sore gums after using an at home whitening kit after seeing it advertised online. She has a lot of complex mental health needs and lots of her self esteem issues stemmed from being self-conscious about her smile. This kind of patient you expect to come in with lots of problems because they don’t come in very often, and during her examination it was clear she did have visible decay and gum disease. Wanting a nice smile she got this kit to feel good about herself and ended up with lots of damage.