Illegal teeth-whitening industry exposed by BBC

Illegal teeth-whitening treatments that can burn gums and destroy teeth are being sold in car parks and on social media, a BBC investigation has found.

Some gels contain more than 500 times the legal limit of bleaching agent for over-the-counter products, and are being handed over in car parks and on doorsteps.

As part of the investigation, a BBC North West reporter was able to obtain a fraudulent teeth-whitening qualification as well as being given "extreme" bleach and advised to "practise on friends and family".

The British Dental Association (BDA) said it was "appalled" by the BBC's findings.

In one case, a seller boasted that there are "insane" profits to be made from providing the treatments.

In the UK, treatments 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 treatments offered by dentists cannot contain more than 6% hydrogen peroxide.

However, products sold to undercover BBC reporters were sent to a laboratory for tests where results showed they contained hydrogen peroxide levels of up to 53%.

Kellie Howson, 54, who lost four teeth after she paid £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 not long into the treatment my gums starting to really hurt, and afterwards it just got worse and worse.

"I was in agony."

Mrs Howson, who works in a hospital, was told by her dentist that the gel had caused irreparable damage and only the removal of four teeth would stop the pain.

The grandmother said it had taken years and tens of thousands of pounds to repair some of the damage done by the hydrogen peroxide treatment, which she got in 2015.

"It destroyed my confidence, I didn't want to go out, didn't want to see anyone," she said.

"I just don't think there's enough knowledge about this. You go on social media and see so many offers."

The beautician who carried out Mrs Howson's treatment was prosecuted for unlawfully practising dentistry and was ordered to pay £250 compensation.

The BBC's 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 did not take long to uncover evidence of kits containing levels of chemicals far beyond the legal safe limits being advertised and sold online by other beauticians in the Manchester and Merseyside areas.

Some of the gels were advertised as containing "extreme bleach" and boasted that they were "so strong it's not available to buy in the UK".

A BBC undercover journalist approached salons and agreed to meet and purchase the whitening kits.

White n Bright in Droylsden, Manchester, advertised kits containing 35% carbamide peroxide, a bleaching agent which, at that strength, breaks down into approximately 12% hydrogen peroxide.

That level is 120 times the legal limit that can be used in cosmetic treatments by non-dentists, and twice the strength that dentists can legally use.

The company owner - who sold the kits for £55 - claimed on social media that the business offered "advanced teeth-whitening" and described the treatment as "safe and non-sensitive".

When the BBC's reporter went to collect the kit, she was handed two syringes of "whitening gel" in a plastic sandwich bag on the doorstep of the seller's home by someone understood to be a relative of the seller.

There were no instructions for use and no safety advice was given.

On Merseyside, the BBC found a beautician advertising illegal whitening products and training courses for fraudulent qualifications.

Pearly White Diamonds was charging £300 for an online training course including a kit containing "high" and "extreme" hydrogen peroxide gels, described as up to 35% and up to 53% in strength.

The company owner directed the BBC's reporter to meet her in the car park of a retirement home to collect the kit.

Before this meeting, the owner messaged the undercover reporter and said: "Are you aware the rules have changed who can whiten teeth? In 2012 it changed from anyone to dentist only… however as you will be aware everyone's still doing it anyway."

The company boss said the rule change "doesn't make a difference, to be honest".

In the car park, she handed over three pink sparkly party bags containing unlabelled gels, a pre-signed teeth whitening-qualification and a set of plastic teeth to practise on.

Over the following days, the company boss provided a "training course" in the form of a series of messages sent via WhatsApp.

The instructions, which were provided over three messages, gave advice on where to apply the gel, patient safety and satisfaction.

The company owner advised to "practise on friends and family" after reading the instructions.

"Once you're all settled, I can then pass you over to my dental manufacturer to brand your own teeth-whitening products. It's really cheap to do and the profit is insane," she said.

The BBC also found a Wirral beautician who had undertaken one of the training courses offered by Pearly White Diamonds.

The owner of Hannah Louise Aesthetics posted a picture of a certificate similar to the one received by the BBC reporter.

The beautician used it to claim she was qualified to treat clients and take bookings.

The company also posted 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 when approached by the BBC for comment.

Since 2016, anyone using above the legal hydrogen peroxide limit can face an unlimited fine and a criminal record in England and Wales.

But investigations rely on customers coming forward, and the last successful prosecution brought by the GDC was in October 2021.

"The GDC's investigations are reactive, rather than proactive, in line with our statutory remit and objectives," a GDC spokesman said.

The regulator said in recent years the focus has been on "education, engagement and encouraging compliance in the first instance".

The kits purchased by the BBC were tested in a laboratory at the University of Lancashire.

The tests confirmed that the gels did contain the advertised levels of hydrogen and carbamide peroxide.

Dr Shalini Kanagasingam, from the University of Lancashire, said: "If you use a higher percentage, especially if it's not monitored professionally by a dentist, you could end up causing irreversible damage to a tooth and you could actually cause a chemical burn."

Dr Kanagasingam, who oversaw the tests at the university's school of medicine and dentistry, described the gels bought by the BBC as "extremely dangerous".

She added: "I can absolutely understand why someone would want whiter teeth. It's something people aspire to nowadays.

"But I would always recommend that the public go to their dentist first, because it could be just a matter of getting a good clean, scale and polish rather than opting for bleaching agents, and especially bleaching agents at such high levels."

The BDA urged the government to launch an urgent crackdown.

A spokesperson said: "We're horrified that so called 'training' is being offered via social media, and syringes of 50% concentration of hydrogen peroxide are being sold in car parks.

"The risk must seem worth the reward to these fraudsters."

A government spokesman urged the public to "contact Citizens Advice or their local authority Trading Standards department" if they had concerns over teeth-whitening products for sale in their area.