Illegal kits spark post-Royal Welsh alert

Do-it-yourself teeth whitening kits may contain illegally high levels of bleach used in hair dye and can cause burns.

That's the message from Trading Standards following testing carried out on a product on sale at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd which had  peroxide levels more than 100 times greater than the legal limit; bleaching agents can aggravate gum disease and even cause chemical burns to the mouth in some cases.

Principal Trading Standards Officer, Clive Jones said: “DIY teeth whitening kits can be fairly low cost but we have to warn that some may breach safety laws. Tests on one product showed high levels of hydrogen peroxide, (11%), which can aggravate gum disease and cause sensitive teeth - or even chemical burns to the mouth.

“We strongly recommend that anyone considering having their teeth whitened cosmetically should consult a qualified dentist. Anyone who bought a product at the Royal Welsh Show last week should contact their dentist to determine whether it is suitable for use and to consider discarding the product if deemed unsuitable.”

Cabinet member for Trading Standards, Councillor Barry Thomas added: “Powys Trading Standards officers are investigating the supply chain to try and identify the manufacturers and suppliers of all products and get them removed from sale.”

Two businesses operating at the show are helping Trading Standards with their enquiries concerning the products sold.

The action follows work by other Trading Standards Professional in the United Kingdom where 16 products were tested with only two containing hydrogen peroxide within the permitted 0.1 per cent level for use by anyone other than qualified dentists. The others had levels of bleaching agent between 0.24 and 23.8 per cent.

Powys Trading Standards can be contacted on (01686) 617524.