ACCC acts on unsafe teeth-whiteners

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced today that it has acted to stop the supply of do-it-yourself teeth-whiteners containing unsafe concentrations of peroxide. The ACCC identified a number of products which exceed safe peroxide limits,and has negotiated the following recalls to remove these products from the marketplace: Three products supplied by White My Bite: •White My Bite" Sensitive •White My Bite Professional, and •White My Bite Advanced kits; Four products supplied by WhiteSmile Pty Ltd: •DayWhite Teeth Whitening Gel •NiteWhite Teeth Whitening Gel •Sunshine Health Teeth Whitening Gel, and •Crest Teeth Whitening Strips; Two products supplied by DaVinci Elite Pty Ltd: •DaVinci Elite tooth whitening pen and DaVinci Elite take-home teeth whitening kit. The ACCC says that further recalls are likely.

The ACCC recently notified all known suppliers of DIY teeth whitening kits that products containing concentrations of more than 6% hydrogen peroxide or more than 18% carbamide peroxide are unsafe and should not be supplied to consumers. The ACCC undertook a market survey of DIY teeth-whitening kits after receiving reports of injuries associated with these products. Safe limits for active bleaching agents are based on the requirements of the Poisons Standard 2011, expert clinical advice published by the Australian Dental Association and a scientific risk assessment published by the European Union's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products. For more information on product safety generally, visit www.productsafety.gov.au, call the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502, or use Twitter@ProductSafetyAU.