Daily Mail - Brussels bans teeth whitening

:: HOME ::

Brussels bans teeth whitening
By Tim Utton - Science Reporter

It is the secret behind the dazzling smiles of many pop stars and Hollywood actors.

And thousands of people have followed the example of the likes of Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Britney Spears, who are among those said to have had their teeth whitened.

But now dentists are being warned that the procedure, which involves applying bleaching gel to the surface of the teeth using a special mouth mould, has been declared illegal by the EU.

They could face up to six months' jail or a £5,000 fine for offering the sessions.

Up to 100,000 Britons, thought to include Chancellor Gordon Brown, have already undergone a whitening treatment, which costs between £450 and £775. But EU scientists say the hydrogen peroxide bleach used in the procedure is too concentrated and could damage teeth or gums.

A Brussels ruling classifies tooth whitening products as 'cosmetic', and makes it illegal to supply the bleach for them at greater concentrations than 0.1 per cent.

Kits prepared by dentists for use at home - also included in the EU ban - can contain 30 to 40 times more. Fast-acting treatments in surgeries can use concentrations of up to 38 per cent.

The scientists' report said: 'The margin of safety is not sufficiently large for an oral hygiene product.'

No study seems to be available concerning long-term use of toothpaste or mouth rinses containing hydrogen peroxide, it said.

However it warned: 'A 16-month-old boy has died after an ingestion of a 3 per cent solution of hydrogen peroxide.' A spokesman for the EU scientific committee on cosmetics and non-food products said yesterday: 'We have followed the findings of our scientific committee, to protect users of such products from harm.

'Member states must ensure that dentists respect this directive.'

British dentists attacked the move yesterday, insisting that the treatments are safe.

Mervyn Druian, of the British Dental Association, who is a specialist at the London Centre of Cosmetic Dentistry, said: 'The whole thing is ridiculous.'

'Tooth whitening is effective and it means that, for a one-off sum without any major intervention, the patient can walk out of the surgery looking and feeling better.

'Dentists should be able to do whatever they need to do for patients.'

Wigan in Greater Manchester is one of the first local authorities to enforce the new rules.

Its trading standards officers have written to dentists warning them that they face investigation and possible charges.

George Rodgers, a dentist who has received such a warning, said: 'It is immoral of this government to make illegal by petty bureaucracy a treatment that is safe and far less destructive than its alternatives.'

More local authorities are now expected to follow suit by issuing warnings to dentists.

Jo Tanner, spokesman for the British Dental Association, said: 'Our advice to our members is to be aware that if they are carrying out teeth bleaching, they are breaking the law. So they do so at their own risk.'

A Department of Trade and Industry spokesman said Consumer Affairs Minister Melanie Johnson is attempting to have the EU directive on hydrogen peroxide levels relaxed.