Daniel O'Donoghue and Laura O'NeillBBC North West Investigations
GettyIllegal teeth whitening products that can burn gums and destroy teeth are being handed out in car parks and doorsteps, a BBC investigation has found.
Some gels containing more than 500 times the whitening agent limit for over-the-counter products are being sold openly on social media.
As part of the investigation, a BBC North West reporter was able to fraudulently qualify for teeth whitening and was also given an “extreme” bleach and advised to “practice on friends and family”.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said it was “appalled” by the BBC's findings.
In one case, a salesman boasted that he could make “crazy” profits from providing the treatment.
In the UK, treatment 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 procedures offered by dentists cannot contain more than 6% hydrogen peroxide.
However, the products sold to undercover BBC reporters were sent to a laboratory for testing, which showed they contained levels of hydrogen peroxide as high as 53%.
“I was in agony”
Kelly Howson, 54, who lost four teeth after paying £65 for a whitening treatment at a beauty salon in Lancaster, urged the public to be aware of the dangers.
She said: “I just remember shortly after the treatment my gums started to hurt a lot and then it got worse and worse.
“I was in agony.”
The dentist told Ms Howson, who works at the hospital, that the gel had caused irreparable damage and only removing four teeth could stop the pain.
The grandmother said it had taken 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 self-confidence, I didn't want to go out, I didn't want to see anyone,” she said.
“So durable you can't buy it in the UK”
“I just don’t think there’s enough knowledge about it. You go on social media and see so many offers.”
The beautician who treated Ms Howson was prosecuted for unlawful dental practice and ordered to pay £250 compensation.
The BBC North West investigation began after the team was contacted by a beautician concerned about how widespread the use of illegal treatments was in the region.
It didn't take long to uncover evidence that kits containing chemicals well in excess of legal limits were being advertised and sold online by other beauty therapists in the Manchester and Merseyside areas.
Some of the gels were advertised as containing “extreme bleach” and boasted that they were “so strong that they cannot be bought in the UK”.
An undercover BBC journalist visited the salons and agreed to meet and buy whitening kits.
White n Bright, based in Droylsden, Manchester, advertised kits containing 35% carbamide peroxide, a bleaching agent which, at this concentration, breaks down into about 12% hydrogen peroxide.
This level is 120 times the legal limit that can be used in cosmetic procedures by non-dentists and twice the dose that dentists can legally use.
The owner of the company, who sold the kits for £55, said on social media that the company offers “advanced teeth whitening” and described the treatment as “safe and non-sensitive”.
When the BBC reporter went to buy the kit, she was handed two syringes of “whitening gel” in a plastic sandwich bag on the seller's doorstep by someone believed to be a relative of the seller.
There were no instructions for use or safety recommendations.
A beautician has been discovered by the BBC in Merseyside advertising illegal whitening products and training courses to gain fake qualifications.
Pearly White Diamonds charged £300 for an online training course, including a kit containing “high” and “extreme” hydrogen peroxide gels in strengths up to 35% and up to 53%.
FacebookThe owner of the company asked a BBC reporter to meet her in the care home car park to collect the kit.
Before this meeting, the owner messaged the undercover reporter and said, “Did you know that the rules for teeth whitening have changed? In 2012, they changed from just anyone to the dentist… but as you know, everyone still does it.”
The company's chief executive said the rule change “doesn't make any difference, to be honest.”
In the parking lot, she handed over three shiny pink party bags containing unlabeled gels, a pre-signed teeth whitening certificate, and a set of plastic teeth to practice on.
In the following days, the company executive conducted a “training course” in the form of a series of messages sent via WhatsApp.
The instructions, consisting of three messages, provided advice on where to apply the gel, as well as patient safety and satisfaction.
The owner of the company advised after reading the instructions to “practice on friends and relatives.”
“Once you have everything settled, I can hand you over to a dental product manufacturer to brand your own teeth whitening products. It’s really cheap and the profits are insane,” she said.
The BBC also found a Wirral beautician who completed one of the training courses offered by Pearly White Diamonds.
The owner of Hannah Louise Aesthetics posted a photo of a certificate similar to the one the BBC reporter received.
The beautician used this to state that she had the right to serve clients and take orders.
The company also ran advertisements offering teeth whitening treatments using “extreme” strength 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 to the BBC's request for comment.
“The risk must be worth the reward for these scammers.”
Since 2016, anyone using hydrogen peroxide over the legal limit faces an unlimited fine and criminal record in England and Wales.
But investigations rely on clients coming forward themselves, and the last successful prosecution brought by the GDC was in October 2021.
“GDC investigations are reactive rather than proactive, consistent with our statutory powers and objectives,” a GDC spokesperson said.
The regulator said the focus in recent years has been on “education, engagement and encouraging compliance first and foremost”.
The kits purchased by the BBC were tested in a laboratory at Lancashire University.
Tests have confirmed that the gels do indeed contain the stated levels of hydrogen and carbamide peroxide.
Dr Shalini Kanagasingam, from the University of Lancashire, said: “If you use a higher percentage, especially if it is not professionally supervised by a dentist, you could end up causing permanent damage to the tooth and even cause a chemical burn.”
Dr Kanagasingam, who oversaw the trial at the university's school of medicine and dentistry, described the gels bought by the BBC as “extremely dangerous”.
She added: “I can totally understand why someone would want whiter teeth. This is what people strive for these days.
“But I would always recommend people go to their dentist first because it may just be a matter of good brushing, descaling and polishing rather than choosing bleaching agents, especially bleaching agents in such high concentrations.”
The BDA has called on the government to launch an urgent crackdown.
A spokesman said: “We are horrified that so-called “training” is being offered through social media and syringes containing 50 per cent hydrogen peroxide are being sold in car parks.
“The risk must be worth the reward for these scammers.”
A government spokesman urged the public to “contact Citizens Advice or their local authority's trading standards department” if they have concerns about teeth whitening products being sold in their area.
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