BBC investigation exposes dangerous teeth-whitening industry

Illegal teeth whitening treatments, which can burn gums and destroy teeth, are being handed out in car parks and on doorsteps, a BBC investigation has found.

Some gels, containing more than 500 times the legal limit of bleach for over-the-counter products, are being blatantly sold on social media.

As part of the investigation, a BBC North West journalist may have obtained a fraudulent teeth whitening qualification, as well as being given “extreme” bleaching and advised to “practice on friends and family”.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said it was “dismayed” by the BBC’s findings.

In one case, a seller boasted that he could make “insane” profits providing the treatments.

In the UK, treatments using teeth whitening products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide can only be carried out by dentists and other professionals registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

And products used in treatments offered by dentists cannot contain more than 6% hydrogen peroxide.

However, products sold to undercover BBC journalists were sent to a laboratory for testing whose results showed they contained hydrogen peroxide levels of up to 53%.

Kellie Howson, 54, who lost four teeth after paying £65 for a whitening treatment at a Lancaster beauty salon, urged the public to be aware of the dangers.

She said: “I just remember that shortly after I started treatment my gums started to hurt really bad, and after that it just got worse.

“I was in agony.”

Ms Howson, who works in a hospital, was told by her dentist that the gel had caused irreparable damage and only extracting four teeth could stop the pain.

The grandmother said it took years and tens of thousands of pounds to repair some of the damage caused by the hydrogen peroxide treatment she received in 2015.

“It destroyed my confidence, I didn’t want to go out, I didn’t want to see anyone,” she said.

“I just don’t think there’s enough information about it. You go on social media and see so many offers.”

The beautician who carried out Ms Howson’s treatment was prosecuted for illegally practicing dentistry and ordered to pay compensation of £250.

The BBC’s investigation into the North West began after the team was contacted by a beautician concerned about the scale of the use of illegal treatments in the region.

It didn’t take long to uncover evidence of kits containing levels of chemicals well beyond legal safety limits being advertised and sold online by other beauticians in the Manchester and Merseyside areas.

Some gels were advertised as containing “extreme bleach” and boasted that they were “so strong they are not available to buy in the UK”.

An undercover BBC journalist approached the salons and agreed to meet them and purchase the whitening kits.

White n Bright in Droylsden, Manchester, has announced kits containing 35% carbamide peroxide, a bleaching agent which, at this concentration, breaks down to around 12% hydrogen peroxide.

This level is 120 times the legal limit that can be used in cosmetic treatments by non-dentists, and twice the force that dentists can legally use.

The business owner – who sold the kits for £55 – claimed on social media that the company offered ‘advanced teeth whitening’ and described the treatment as ‘safe and non-sensitive’.

When the BBC journalist went to collect the kit, she was handed two syringes of “whitening gel” in a plastic sandwich bag outside the door of the seller’s home by someone believed to be close to the seller.

There were no instructions for use and no safety advice given.

In Merseyside, the BBC uncovered a beautician advertising illegal whitening products and training for fraudulent qualifications.

Pearly White Diamonds charged £300 for an online training course including a kit containing “high” and “extreme” hydrogen peroxide gels, described as having a concentration of up to 35% and up to 53%.

The company owner ordered the BBC reporter to meet her in the car park of a care home to collect the kit.

Before this meeting, the owner messaged the undercover reporter and said, “Did you know the rules have changed about who can whiten teeth?” In 2012, it went from just anyone to just a dentist…but as you know, everyone still does it anyway.

The company boss said the rule change “makes no difference, to be honest”.

In the parking lot, she handed out three sparkly pink gift bags containing unlabeled gels, a pre-signed teeth whitening qualification and a set of plastic teeth to practice on.

In the following days, the company boss provided “training” in the form of a series of messages sent via WhatsApp.

The instructions, divided into three messages, gave advice on where to apply the gel, safety and patient satisfaction.

The business owner advised to “practice with friends and family” after reading the instructions.

“Once you’re all settled in, I can hand you over to my dental manufacturer to brand your own teeth whitening products. It’s really cheap and the profit is insane,” she said.

The BBC also found a beautician from Wirral who had completed one of the courses offered by Pearly White Diamonds.

The owner of Hannah Louise Aesthetics posted a photo of a certificate similar to the one received by the BBC journalist.

The esthetician used it to claim she was qualified to treat clients and take bookings.

The company also published advertisements offering teeth whitening treatments using “extreme” gels, as well as “hybrid gels” advertised as containing 22% hydrogen peroxide and 22% carbamide peroxide.

White n Bright, Pearly White Diamonds and Hannah Louise Aesthetics did not respond when contacted by the BBC for comment.

Since 2016, anyone consuming above the legal limit of hydrogen peroxide faces an unlimited fine and a criminal record in England and Wales.

But investigations depend on customer protest, and the last successful lawsuit filed by GDC was in October 2021.

“GDC investigations are reactive rather than proactive, in line with our mandate and statutory objectives,” a GDC spokesperson said.

The regulator said that in recent years the focus had been on “education, engagement and encouraging compliance first and foremost”.

The kits purchased by the BBC were tested in a laboratory at the University of Lancashire.

Testing confirmed that the gels contained the advertised levels of hydrogen peroxide and carbamide.

Dr Shalini Kanagasingam, from the University of Lancashire, said: “If you use a higher percentage, especially if it is not professionally monitored by a dentist, you could end up causing irreversible damage to a tooth and even cause a chemical burn. »

Dr Kanagasingam, who oversaw the tests at the university’s school of medicine and dentistry, described the gels purchased by the BBC as “extremely dangerous”.

She added: “I can totally understand why someone would want whiter teeth. It’s something people aspire to these days.

“But I would always recommend that the public consult their dentist first, as it might just be a matter of a good cleaning, scaling and polishing rather than opting for whitening agents, and especially whitening agents at such high levels.”

The BDA urged the government to launch an urgent crackdown.

A spokesperson said: “We are horrified that so-called ‘training’ is being offered via social media and that syringes containing 50% hydrogen peroxide are being sold in car parks.

“The risk must be worth the reward for these fraudsters.”

A government spokesperson urged the public to “contact Citizens Advice or their local authority’s trading standards department” if they had any concerns about teeth whitening products on sale in their area.

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