Europeans tighten law on teeth whitening products

Relaxnews
Friday 23 September 2011 12:22 BST
Comments

While Americans whiten their teeth at a kiosk in a shopping mall, Europeans are facing tougher restrictions to get their smiles pearly white.

On September 20, the European Commission announced new regulations - four years in the making - clamping down on teeth whitening kits, including strips, gels, and trays containing higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Whitening products over 0.1 percent and less than 6 percent hydrogen peroxide now will only be available to patients following an examination and an initial treatment session carried out by a dentist. Products containing more than 6 percent are deemed illegal.

The rationale behind the move is consumer safety, noted Dr. Stuart Johnston, chair of the BDA’s Representative Body, in a statement: "This long-awaited decision is good for dentists and their patients. It puts patient safety first by recognising the importance of examination by a dentist before whitening treatments are provided."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in