Teeth-whitening should be carried out by professionals
An Australian court has effectively ruled that tooth-whitening should only be carried out by dental professionals after a beautician was fined for performing the procedure.
Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court in Melbourne fined the therapist $2000 and convicted her for practising dentistry when she was not a registered dental care provider.
This trial is the first time that the legality of tooth-whitening procedures being carried out by unregistered parties has been questioned in Australia.
News.com.au reported that Jill Crowe, magistrate, said that tooth-whitening is invasive and irreversible and should only be performed by registered professionals.
The case began in August 2007 when the Dental Practice Board of Victoria brought a claim against the beautician after complaints by a customer.
The whitening treatment had caused the customer to suffer chemical burns, gum ulcerations, and severely mottled teeth.
The board claimed that ruling would set a precedent to ensure tooth-whitening procedures would only be performed by registered dental care professionals in future.
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