UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT LAWS ON TEETH WHITENING SOLUTIONS

Addendum - 27 May 2011
Tooth whitening is successfully used by dental professionals as a therapeutic treatment for patients who want to change the appearance of their teeth, where the alternative treatments available would involve destructive techniques.

However, the supply of products that contain or release more than 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide is illegal under the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2008. This law has remained unchanged for many years and the House of Lords confirmed in 2001 that tooth whitening products fall within the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations.

Dental Protection appreciates the dilemma faced by practitioners who wish to act in a patient’s best interests and offer a non destructive option to patients but by doing so by find that they breach the Cosmetic Product (Safety) Regulations. Dental Protection published a Position Statement on tooth whitening that has been updated periodically, as new information has become available.

Members of Dental Protection may have encountered some difficulties in obtaining tooth whitening products recently following renewed interest by Trading Standards in the supply of tooth whitening products that contain or release more than 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide. Dental Protection understands that Trading Standards has taken enforcement action in relation to a dental materials supply company preventing the company from supplying tooth whitening products that contain or release more than 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide. As a result some practice owners – including some chains of practices owned by dental corporates - decided to temporarily suspend the use of tooth whitening products for both home and in-surgery use.