BDA Welcomes New Tooth Whitening Regulations
The British Dental Association has welcomed new regulations, which will require members of the public to see a dentist if they want whitening treatment.
New European regulations will mean that dental patients will have to see their dentist to have whitening treatment; all whitening kits, excluding those with very low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, will only be available from qualified dentists.
The European Commission Council met to discuss the availability and provision of whitening treatments and the council has backed recommendations made by the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Products in 2007. Once approved, the new regulations will prevent practitioners who do not have dental training and qualifications from offering whitening services.
The British Dental Association has been campaigning for a change in regulations for a long time; they claim that whitening is a dental service and should therefore only be provided by trained dental professionals. Dr Stuart Johnston, Chair of the BDA’s Representative Body and the Council of European Dentists’ working group, said that the new regulations are good news for dentists and members of the public. The new measures will protect members of the public and ensure that whitening services are provided by dentists, who have training and expertise in administering the treatment.
The new EU regulations will mean that products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide will not be available to consumers; these products will only be available from dentists and patients will undergo an examination before being given the green light to have whitening treatment.
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