Earlier this year, a beautician was fined £2000 for performing teeth whitening without a qualification in dentistry

£2000 is roughly $3555 in Australian. She was informed by the general dental council she was breaking the law. However, according to the woman she had been told she didn’t need a dentistry qualification to do tooth whitening.

The interesting thing is none of her patients made any complaints, but not being a dentist meant she wasn’t qualified to carry out dental work. In many countries tooth whitening treatment is considered to be dentistry and can only be provided by registered dental professionals (dentists, dental therapists, dental nurses and dental hygienists).

While the debate continues as to whether or not tooth whitening is the soul domain of dentistry it hasn’t stopped government bodies from handing out fines of up to £5000 (around $8889AUD). The same can be said in some states in America where the fine is around $5000US (around $5367AUD).

Tooth whitening done by a dentist

The obvious advantage of getting your teeth whitened by a dentist is dentists know about general dental health. This is advantageous because it means a dentist can assess your oral health and determine if tooth whitening is the best treatment for you.

At Dr Danny Lamm’s dental practice in Malvern East our friendly team can assess your oral health and determine what the best treatment is for you.

Did you know there are different kinds of stains? Stained teeth are not just cosmetic. It can be because of dead, decayed or damaged pulp. Essentially this means that no amount of tooth whitening product is going to solve the problem.

If the stain is not cosmetic you may require treatment such as root canal therapy.

Treating cosmetic stains

Cosmetic stains can be treated with tooth whitening. At our Malvern East practice we use Zoom! Tooth Whitening. This is a fast and effective tooth whitening method which can whiten your teeth up to ten shades. We will also provide you with a take home kit to help you keep your teeth looking healthy and white.

The tooth whitening process takes around an hour for a long lasting effect. The procedure involves a whitening gel being placed on your teeth and then a light is applied for 15 minute intervals.

3 of the advantages of ZOOM! Whitening:

  1. Whitening gel is safe on tooth enamel
  2. Takes less than an hour
  3. Lightens teeth up to ten shades

Get your teeth treated by a dentist. While we cannot cast any aspersions on over-the-counter tooth whitening products, we can point out dentists are better trained to look after your teeth. And we make custom-made trays as opposed to the one-size fits all you get with over-the-counter products.

If you would like to know more about what tooth whitening can do for you, or to book an appointment at our Malvern East dental practice, please contact us today.