UK Whitening Rules
The rules on who can whiten and with what, the risks behind a salon offer, each stage of a prescribed home course, and the fee at our practice in Lanark.
Can I Legally Have My Teeth Whitened in the UK, and Is It Safe?
Yes, as long as a dentist registered with the GDC looks at your mouth first and prescribes the gel, which can contain up to 6% hydrogen peroxide. Salons, beauticians and shopping-centre kiosks break the law if they whiten teeth, and nobody under 18 can be given anything stronger than 0.1%. At our Lanark practice, Boutique home whitening with trays made for your teeth is £350, prescribed and reviewed by your dentist.
The Legal Position
In the UK, whitening teeth counts as practising dentistry. It can only be done by someone on the General Dental Council (GDC) register, and only after a dentist has examined you and prescribed it. With that prescription in place, a registered dental hygienist or therapist can provide the treatment. A beautician, salon employee or kiosk worker cannot, whatever name the product goes by.
The gels are regulated as well. Products that contain, or release, between 0.1% and 6% hydrogen peroxide can be supplied only to dental professionals. The first application in each course is carried out by a dentist or under a dentist's direct supervision, and after that you continue at home. Above 6%, a gel can't be used cosmetically at all. Under-18s can't have anything over 0.1% unless the sole aim is to treat or prevent disease.
You'll often see dental gels described by their carbamide peroxide strength instead. Carbamide gives off about a third of its own strength as hydrogen peroxide, which is why a 16% carbamide gel works out at slightly less than 6%.
Shop Kits and Their Limits
Whitening strips, paint-on pens, light-up gadgets and whitening toothpastes from chemists and websites may contain no more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide. That's enough to loosen a little surface staining, but far too weak to make a real difference to the colour within the tooth. They're legal and largely harmless. They simply can't deliver what the box tends to promise.
| Feature | Dentist-prescribed | Shop-bought |
|---|---|---|
| Peroxide strength | Hydrogen peroxide up to 6% | No more than 0.1% |
| What it does | Lightens the natural colour of the tooth | Lifts a little surface staining |
| Trays | Made to fit, from a scan of your teeth | One size, or none |
| Before you start | A dentist examines teeth and gums | No examination |
| Who can use it | Adults, unless it's treating disease | Sold to anyone |
Wondering How White You Could Go?
A free consultation lets your dentist look at your teeth and give you an honest target shade.
The Trouble with Salon Whitening
If the person whitening your teeth isn't on the GDC register, the treatment is illegal. It makes no difference whether it happens in a beauty salon, a spa, a market stall or someone's living room, and the GDC takes people to court over it. A common workaround is to hand you a tray and let you fit it yourself. That's still unlawful, and it's no safer.
- No examination. Gel on a decayed or cracked tooth, or on exposed roots, can hurt a great deal, and it can cover up a problem that needed treatment.
- Unknown products. Some gels are too weak to do anything. Others rely on chlorine dioxide, marketed as "peroxide-free", which can leave enamel rougher and weaker.
- Poorly fitting trays. Gel that seeps onto the gums can burn them.
- Nobody to answer to. When things go wrong, there's no registered professional responsible for putting them right.
Checking takes less than a minute, because every dentist, hygienist and therapist allowed to work in the UK is listed on the GDC's online register. If the name isn't there, don't go ahead.
Is It Safe When a Dentist Is in Charge?
Yes, provided the gel is regulated and a dentist oversees the course. Dentists have used peroxide whitening for many years, and when it's used as directed it doesn't strip enamel away or make it thinner. The side effect most people notice is a passing sensitivity to cold during the course, which goes once you finish. Trays made for your own mouth also hold the gel on your teeth and away from your gums.
Sometimes the right answer is no, or not yet. We don't offer cosmetic whitening to anyone under 18, and as a precaution we don't whiten during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Decay, cracks and gum disease are treated before any whitening starts. If your teeth are sensitive already, the routine can be adapted, as our guide to sensitivity during whitening explains.
Our Home Whitening, Stage by Stage
- Examination. Your dentist looks for decay, cracks and gum problems, and notes any fillings, crowns or veneers on your front teeth, because none of those will change colour.
- Scan. Instead of impression putty, a few minutes with our iTero scanner records your teeth, and your trays are made from that scan.
- Fitting. When the trays are ready, we make sure they fit, show you how much gel to use and how long to wear them, and record the shade you're starting from.
- At home. Most people wear the trays with Boutique gel every day for two to three weeks.
- Review. We set your new shade against your original one, look at your gums and talk about how to hold on to the result.
Whitening works because the gel gives off oxygen, which moves into the enamel and breaks apart the coloured molecules that darken teeth. Teeth with a yellow tone usually lighten fastest, while grey or brown discolouration takes longer and is harder to predict.
What Stays the Same Colour
Whitening only acts on natural tooth. Fillings, crowns, veneers and bonding keep the shade they have now. If any of these show when you smile, we'll tell you before you begin whether they're likely to look darker afterwards, and how they could be replaced if so. New bonding or veneers should be made once you've finished whitening, so they can be matched to your lighter teeth.
Certain stains resist whitening, such as a single tooth that turned dark after a knock or a root filling, or the deep bands left by some antibiotics taken as a child. If that applies to you, we'll say so at the consultation rather than overselling. Results differ from mouth to mouth, 2 so we agree a target shade with you instead of promising a set number of shades lighter.
Holding on to the Result
For most people a result lasts a year or longer, and longer again if they're careful with tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco. The trays are yours to keep, so when the colour starts to slip, a few nights of top-up gel restores it. Drinking water after a cup of tea or a glass of wine, not smoking and keeping up your hygiene appointments all make a difference. Our guide to keeping teeth white has more ideas.
The Fee in Lanark
At Lanark Smile Studios, Boutique home whitening costs £350, or £315 if you're a dental plan member. 1 The fee covers your examination, the scan, the custom trays, the gel and your review. Whitening is already included if you're having Invisalign or one of our bonding packages.
The whitening consultation is free. You pay a £20 deposit to hold the appointment, and you get it back within 7 days of your visit. To ask a question before booking, WhatsApp us on 07904 195925. You'll find more on our whitening page.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.