Tooth whitening and illegal practice

Tooth whitening is a dental treatment which can permanently alter the structure of your teeth. It should only be undertaken following a proper assessment by a registered dentist and on their prescription.

If you are considering having your teeth whitening, please read our leaflet about what to expect - Considering tooth whitening? - and speak to your dentist about whether you are suitable for it.

Your dentist can examine you, assess whether this is the best treatment option for you and outline the costs and risks of the treatment, so that you are properly informed about it.

If you have seen your dentist and they have prescribed tooth whitening treatment, they will either carry it out themselves, or a registered dental hygienist, dental therapist or clinical dental technician can provide the treatment on the dentist’s prescription.

No other types of dental professional can safely offer this treatment and anyone who is not on our register will be breaking the law if they do so.

What is illegal practice?

In order to work legally and safely in the UK all dental professionals must be registered with us.

Offering or providing dental treatments when you are not registered with the GDC is illegal practice. The GDC will investigate all allegations of illegal practice and potentially prosecute them in the criminal courts.

If you offer or provide dental treatments or advice without being registered with us, you may be committing a criminal offence. Information about who is legally and safely able to offer treatments is available.

We want to make sure that all dental treatments are provided legally and safely, so please let us know if you have been offered or had dental treatment by:

someone who was on one of our registers but has been erased
someone who is currently suspended from our registers, or
someone who has never been on our registers.

To easily find out if an individual is registered with us you can search our registers.

The primary purpose of the GDC is patient protection. There is more information about how we or others can help you with illegal practice.

If you are interested in more detail around the law and policy in this area, you can find out more about facts and myths surrounding illegal practice

Frequently asked questions

I’ve got an appointment for tooth whitening treatment with my beautician, is this legal and safe?

No. The law says that only registered dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists or clinical dental technicians working to the prescription of a dentist can legally and safely provide tooth whitening treatment.

Dentists train for several years to safely offer this treatment. They are able to assess whether a patient is suitable for the treatment, whether there are reasons that they should not have it and they can intervene if an emergency situation arises. Someone who has done a short training course cannot offer this treatment legally or safely. You may be placing yourself at risk of harm if you see someone who is not properly qualified and registered.

How do I check if the person who is offering me tooth whitening treatment is legally allowed to do so?

The GDC maintains a register of all registered dental professionals in the UK.

You can check if the person offering tooth whitening treatment is registered by visiting this page and typing in their name. If their name does not appear in these searches, they are not registered with us and cannot legally provide you with tooth whitening treatment.

The person advertising tooth whitening treatment isn’t registered but they say that they are insured? Surely this means that it is legal?

No. Offering tooth whitening treatment when you are not a registered dental professional is a criminal offence. You cannot be insured against committing a criminal offence. Any insurance policy purchased in these circumstances will be void. The GDC has liaised with those who oversee the insurance industry to try and ensure that these sorts of policies are not offered or sold to unregistered practitioners.

The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTC) states that they will not insure individuals to carry out tooth whitening as there is no government recognised qualification for unregistered individuals to carry out this treatment.

The person offering me the tooth whitening says that their method is ‘self-administered’ and therefore legal and safe – what do you say about that?

The Dentists Act makes it illegal for anyone who is not a dentist to give 'treatment, advice or attendance' that would usually be given by a dentist. Handing an individual a tooth whitening tray and advising them on application, amongst other things, could constitute the giving of 'advice or attendance' and in those circumstances would be a criminal offence.

The GDC has successfully prosecuted several individuals for using this method whilst offering tooth whitening treatment dating as far back as 2015.