The British public believe that tooth whitening should only ever be carried out by a dental professional, according to a new survey conducted by dental regulators, the General Dental Council (GDC).
The study polled 1,021 adults and 86 per cent of those surveyed said that tooth whitening should be carried out by registered, trained and qualified dental professionals. Further, 89 per cent of those who have had, or plan to have tooth whitening are of the same opinion.
The GDC's view, which is supported by the Department of Health, is that tooth whitening should be performed by a suitably trained and competent dentist or dental care professional. The new findings also show that many of the public support the GDC's views as 75 per cent of those polled felt that the GDC should prosecute anyone practising tooth whitening illegally.
Chief executive and registrar of the GDC, Evlynne Gilvarry, said: "We are concerned about the risk to the public posed by such potentially hazardous treatment being provided by people without the training and qualifications necessary for registration as a dental professional."
