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Your support makes all the difference.Some teeth-whitening kits sold online to be used at home have been found to contain levels of hydrogen peroxide many times over the legal limit, which can cause dental damage.
Consumer watchdog Which? carried out an investigation that revealed the worst offenders had more than 300 times the recommended amount of hydrogen peroxide.
The group tested 36 kits and found 21 of them exceeded the legal amount of the chemical for home use.
Using products with dangerous levels of hydrogen peroxide can cause chemical burns to gums and tooth loss. All unsafe products that were flagged have been removed from online marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay and AliExpress.
The legal limit for teeth-whitening products for home use is up to 0.1 per cent hydrogen peroxide, and six per cent for application by professional dentists.
Teeth whiteners can come in the form of gel-coated strips or gel-filled syringes, or pens with brush tips used to paint on the whitening fluid directly onto the tooth.
Which? said it was concerned that social media users may be encouraging others to use products with high levels of the chemical.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection at Which?, said: “It’s worrying that our tests have revealed so many of these products sold on online marketplaces - and often hyped on social media - are breaking legal limits for hydrogen peroxide and putting the health of users at risk.
“It’s clear that self-regulation is not working, leaving people exposed to a flood of unsafe products online.”
Oral Orthodontic Materials store on AliExpress was the company behind the product with the highest levels of hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching gel kit that contained 30.7 per cent of the chemical.
The company said it “found the mistake, corrected it in time and that the product has been removed from sale.”
AliExpress told Which?: “We take product safety very seriously and after being notified by Which? of its findings, we took prompt action and removed the third-party product listings identified to be in violation of our listing policy.”
Dr Paul Woodhouse, director of the British Dental Association, warned: “Hydrogen peroxide is a seriously strong chemical and not to be messed with.
“Dentists are trained in its usage and they also know what whitening products are effective to use and safe for teeth and gums.
“If you destroy gum tissue, you are never going to get it back and you lose your teeth. If it penetrates the surface of your tooth, which is likely, it’s probably going to lead to the death of that tooth.”
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, added that the number of people searching for DIY teeth whitening products online was increasing.
He told Which?: “This is worrying as solutions of hydrogen peroxide used are often above the 0.1 per cent legal limit and this can lead to permanent damage to teeth and gums.
“That’s why we only recommend visiting a qualified dentist for tooth whitening as they’re professionally trained and will help you to get the results you’re looking for safely.”
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