Are all tooth whitening products legal?
A recent press release from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry states that tooth whitening products used in dental surgeries at above 6% Hydrogen Peroxide are illegal. Many of the products used currently in practice are in the order of 25-35%!
There is another, slightly less vigorous chemical called Carbamide Peroxide which is available for use in concentrations up to 18%, again, anything more than this is not deemed safe or acceptable. Also, it is illegal for this procedure to be carried out by a non dentally qualified person, and quite severe fines have been handed down by the courts recently to persons practicing dentistry without a licence to do so.
Consider your decision
So where does this leave the patient? Basically, patients need to ask the right questions:
- What are you going to use in my mouth?
- Are you qualified to carry out this treatment?
- Have you done it before and what results have you had?
- Are there any possible drawbacks?
If the answers are not satisfactory, or you have any doubts – don’t have it done!
The Tooth Whitening service at Durham City Smiles
At Durham City Smiles we use a tray system produced by Optident, with custom made trays fabricated in our onsite laboratory by our technician, Eddie Lowerson. The active ingredient in the gel is 10% Carbamide Peroxide, and this is used for 1 hour a day for up to 2 weeks.
Sometimes the teeth can become sensitive, (mine did, when I tried it on myself) but this can usually be cured by using a desensitising paste such as Toothmousse or Sensodyne in the tray, alternating with the whitening gel.
We don’t use a “laser” or “zoom whitening” system as we believe that this activates the chemical too much and can lead to more problems with sensitivity. Yes it may work faster, but the results could be at a cost.
Currently we have an offer for tooth whitening of just £250 for both upper and lower arches. If this is of interest, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0191 3844447.
Facial Rejuvenation services at Durham City Smiles
Also, in the realm of cosmetics, here at Durham City Smiles we are pleased to announce that our resident medical practitioner, Dr Paula Graham is now providing Facial Rejuvenation services for the elimination of those little laughter lines that can cause premature aging, (as recently featured in the Northern Echo Health and Beauty supplement). Paula uses Azzalure, a product very similar in nature to botox, but longer lasting; and, later this year Paula hopes to be able to offer collagen dermal fillers.
So, again, if this is of interest please call 0191 3844447 to make an appointment to talk to Paula.
Kind regards
Graeme
