Phillip Alan Palfrey, from Llandrindod Wells in Wales, pleaded guilty to three charges for selling unsafe teeth whitening products on eBay. He was ordered to pay a fine and costs, amounting to £4073, following the prosecution by the Trading Standards arm of Powys County Council.
The legal limit for hydrogen peroxide in teeth whitening kits, which the public can administer to themselves at home, is 0.1 per cent. However, the teeth whitening gel being sold by Mr Palfrey contained 5.88 per cent of hydrogen peroxide – 58.8 times the legal limit. Some other products being sold on the online auction website by Mr Palfrey contained 5.67 per cent of the chemical.
Shaun Round, interim head of illegal practice at the General Dental Council, said, “The General Dental Council’s primary purpose is to protect patients and to maintain public confidence in dental services – one of the ways we do this is by prosecuting people carrying out dentistry illegally. We also work closely with other organisations, such as Trading Standards, who prosecute people who sell unsafe products – the latter is what Mr Palfrey has been convicted of doing.
“It is extremely important that the hydrogen peroxide content within teeth whitening kits is within the legal limit, and sold only to those who are legally entitled to purchase that particular strength solution or gel, else it could cause permanent harm to those using it. In the case of members of the public, that limit is 0.1 per cent.
“Only registered dental professionals who are permitted to provide teeth whitening treatments can purchase products with a higher hydrogen peroxide content. The effects of using illegal strength tooth whitening products can include irreversible loss of tooth structure as a result of increased porosity of the enamel, heightened tooth sensitivity, altered taste and chemical burns to the soft tissues of the mouth.
“We would advise anyone considering teeth whitening to speak to their dentist, as they will be able to advise them whether they are suitable for the treatment and assess whether they have any conditions that may affect the outcome.
“Anyone performing tooth whitening on another person must be a registered dental professional. Therefore, anyone who is not registered with the General Dental Council that is performing tooth whitening on other people, is doing so illegally.”
Clive Jones, the professional lead for Trading Standards at Powys County Council, said, “We will take enforcement action against traders who flout important legislation, such as that relating to teeth whitening products where the seller has no right to sell such products, has no qualifications to safeguard consumers in its use or application and where the end consumer will likely receive a product with potentially harmful levels of peroxide.
“We will also consider proceeds of crime actions to remove any gain the criminals make from their illegal enterprises.”