THE High Court in London has ruled that tooth whitening is considered the practice of dentistry and should only be carried out by regulated dental professionals.
The ruling was handed down this month when the High Court overturned a Magistrates’ Court’s decision to acquit Ms Lorna Jamous who had been charged with practising dentistry and unlawfully carrying on the business of dentistry when not regulated by the GDC.
The Dentists Act 1984 makes it a criminal offence for anyone other than a registered dental professional to carry out dentistry and the ruling further confirms that tooth whitening falls under that legal definition.
The GDC has been active in bringing cases of illegal practice, including tooth whitening, to court.
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