Beware High Street Clinics Using Toxic Chemicals With 200x Legal Level of Bleaching Agent
Unregistered dentists are using teeth whiteners containing over 200 times the legal level of bleach.
Trading standards officers investigated salons promising customers a perfect Hollywood smile and discovered the toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide.
Only dentists or dental professionals working to a dentist’s prescription are legally allowed to perform tooth whitening procedures.
Despite this, thousands of unregistered practitioners are offering the service at lower prices in clinics, beauty salons, tanning shops and hairdressers.
An official investigation into 40 outlets like those listed above has revealed a number are using dangerous bleaching agents that can cause gum damage and blisters.
All forms of whitening gel contain bleach that strips stains from the enamel to expose a new, whiter layer beneath.
Professional teeth whitening by a registered dentist can cost up to £1,000, which is why so many customers are tempted by the cheaper outlets who charge as little as £50 for the service.
Essex trading standards officers seized several brands containing illegal and dangerous levels of hydrogen peroxide. The worst offender was AW3 Teeth Whitening, which contained 23.8 percent hydrogen peroxide. This is 238 times the maximum safety level.
Lovelight was another gel seized by the officers. This agent contained more than double the legal limit as well as a substance known as sodium perborate, which is banned in EU cosmetics.
Another gel, Super White Smile, was discovered also to have double the legal limit, despite the label claiming it was within the legal limit.
According to EU law, whitening products are only safe to be used by non-dentists if they have a maximum of 0.1 percent bleaching agent. Anything above this limit must only be used by dental practitioners.
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