Teeth whitening ‘must be performed by professionals’
Australian dental authorities are preparing to take on beauty practitioners who offer unregulated teeth whitening treatments.
Reported by the Age, the chemicals used to brighten teeth can cause irritation and burning to the gum or face.
The Dental Practitioners Board of Victoria is to sue a beauty practitioner in two months following a complaint by a patient who claims to be injured from tooth whitening treatment.
According to the board, tooth whitening falls under the Health Professional Registration Act which says that only registered dental care providers can perform irreversible procedures on teeth.
Laurie Walsh, professor of dental science at Queensland University, said: "There is a need for regulatory controls. It [teeth whitening] is something that should be confined to people who are properly trained and who know what they are doing."
Tif Qureshi, PR director for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD), recently said that there were talks between the BACD and the General Dental Council to enforce a law on teeth whitening restrictions.
