Woman is fined £1000 for illegal teeth whitening

Cosmetic teeth whitening is only legal if carried out by a registered dental professionalA 63-year old woman from Clydebank, Scotland was fined £1000 after she pleaded guilty to the illegal practice of dentistry at Glasgow Sheriff Court last month. At Carisbrook we have frequently highlighted the risks of cosmetic teeth whitening procedures being undertaken by non-qualified, non-registered individuals, but now at last it appears that the authorities are prepared to stamp down on this illegal and dangerous practice.The lady in question claimed that she did not know that she was doing anything illegal, but the law is quite clear that only qualified dental professionals, registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) are authorised to provide cosmetic teeth whitening treatment.The £1000 fine, says the GDC, reflects the seriousness of the offence and the risk that unqualified cosmetic teeth whitening treatment poses to the public. Already this year the GDC has prosecuted 31 individuals for this offence across the UK.As a major dental practice with a team of fully qualified and registered dentists and hygienists on our staff we have come across numerous instances where unqualified cosmetic teeth whitening treatment has resulted in some form of oral injury.The majority of these injuries are burns to the gums, lips and throat, but the potential health risks go much, much further than that. As qualified dental professionals we assess each patient before we recommend any type of cosmetic teeth whitening treatment. What’s more, if there are any health issues during the treatment itself, such as an allergic reaction, then as medically qualified professionals we are able to quickly take appropriate action.Many of these illegal teeth whitening treatments are carried out by unqualified, non-registered people working in beauty and tanning salons etc. They do not have the medical skills to assess teeth whitening treatment suitability, they are not licensed to carry out the treatment and they certainly do not have the qualifications to deal with any emergencies.At Carisbrook we provide a number of different cosmetic teeth whitening treatments that we recommend depending on the requirements of our patient and on our professional assessment.These treatments include:Enlighten – the newest and most successful system on the market.ZOOM! – a scientific treatment that can whiten your teeth in just one hour.Home Whitening – where we provide a custom-made kit that enables you to undertake your own teeth whitening treatment in the comfort of your own homeWe cannot emphasise enough that you must not put your health or your teeth at risk by going to an illegal teeth whitening clinic. Contact Carisbrook to discuss the most appropriate teeth whitening treatment for you and find out about our special offer that lets you Save £100 on Home Teeth Whitening. You can call us on 0161 951 7295 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Appointments page.