‘This Risk Is Not Worth Taking’
Dentists Warn About DIY Teeth Whitening Kits
Dentists are alarmed at the increasing number of patients suffering serious damage caused by do-it-yourself teeth whitening.
They are calling for a crackdown on the sale of illegal chemical products promising a whiter smile.
The kits include mouth trays filled with whitening gel and products activated by a blue LED light worn for 10 minutes.
Dozens of other at-home teeth whitening products also filling up feeds on Instagram and Facebook.
However dentists say they can be dangerous and cause serious harm.
“I’ve seen people come into my practice with welts the size of five cent pieces,” dentist Dr Hooman Golestani told 9NEWS.
Some victims are now even posting online the disastrous results of using DIY products as a warning to others.
“When tooth whitening is done by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing or when you say you go into a beauty therapy salon or buy something off the net, they’re not educated in the effects of hydrogen peroxide,” Dr Golestani said.
A recent Australian Dental Association study found more than two-thirds of people aged 18 to 35 who’ve whitened their teeth didn’t go to a professional.
They are now buying kits from websites, chemists or beauty salons.
The cost of the procedure at a dentist can vary from $150 for a take home kit to $1800 for an in-chair bleaching.
Popular online products such as the LED systems cost between $80 to $90.
There are even cheaper kits on eBay with teeth whitening pens and gels selling for just a few dollars each.
“I think the risk is not worth taking – anything that is purchased over the net that you have no idea where it comes from, you should avoid putting in your mouth, it’s very simple,” Dr Golestani said.
The ADA said only registered dentists are legally allowed to sell or use teeth whitening products with higher than six per cent hydrogen peroxide, and it is now calling for tighter regulations of the industry.
