Teeth whiteners 'contain 230 times legal amount of bleach'
Investigation "strongly recommends" consumers consult dentists for teeth-whitening
Also In The News
|
Tim Henman's first-round Wimbledon tie with Carlos Moya will resume at 6-3 1-6 5-7 6-2 5-5 tomorrow after bad light brought an early halt to an engrossing match. |  |
Tuesday, 26, Jun 2007 12:58
Some teeth-whitening products available in Britain contain more than 230 times the legal amount of bleach, investigators have found.
The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is warning consumers that nine out of ten DIY kits that whiten teeth were found to contain illegally-high levels of hydrogen peroxide.
Regulations stipulate that teeth-whitening kits can contain a maximum of 0.1 per cent of the bleaching agent, which is more commonly used to dye hair.
But following tests of home kits bought in the Midlands and Hertfordshire, investigators found that one product contained 23.8 per cent hydrogen peroxide.
"Many people these days aspire to having the perfect Hollywood smile and some stars have paid a lot of money to achieve this through cosmetic dental treatment," said Ron Gainsford, TSI chief executive, at the organisation's annual conference in Manchester today.
"There are much cheaper kits on sale for home use – for instance, some of those tested by trading standards cost as little as £14. But this could end up burning more than a hole in your pocket.
"Our tests found high levels of hydrogen peroxide, which can aggravate gum disease and cause sensitive teeth – or even chemical burns to the mouth."
Mr Gainsford says the TSI "strongly recommends" that anyone wishing to whiten their teeth cosmetically should consult a qualified dentist.
He added that whitening toothpastes or polishes available from pharmacies and beauticians had not been included as part of the institute's probe.