General Dental Council Win Illegal Tooth Whitening Case
Investigations carried out by the General Dental Council have resulted in a Lancashire woman being fined more than £3,000 for offering tooth whitening treatment at her beauty salon.
Twenty five year old, Hayley Wilding, from Preston, was found guilty of providing the service at Vanity Salon in Lancaster last year; she failed to attend court, but was charged with the offence of practising dentistry unlawfully.
The prosecution was lead by the General Dental Council, the authority responsible for regulating dental professionals and clinics in the UK; as whitening is a dental treatment, it should only be carried out by those with qualifications and training in dentistry.
Wilding was fined almost £3,500 after she was found guilty of administering whitening treatment on the 27th June 2013; she was also found to have continued the practise after the initial charge. The fine included court costs of £1,862 in addition to a fee of £900 for the first charge and a further £450 for the second charge.
This is the second case the General Dental Council has successfully pursued against illegal tooth whitening since the law changed in May last year, meaning that only dental professionals registered with the GDC were allowed to offer whitening treatment.
A GDC spokesman said that the regulatory body would continue its efforts to protect members of the public and pursue legal action against those who flout the laws.
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