Clarification of teeth whitening advice

Our story on 11 April drew attention to advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that teeth whitening products with concentrations of hydrogen/carbamide peroxide above 6% and 18% respectively were not permitted to be provided by dentists for use by consumers at home.

In that story we implied that no tooth whitening products could be supplied by dentists for home use by their patients, when in fact the ACCC has stated that patients can be supplied with home teeth whitening kits containing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and/or carbamide peroxide so long as the concentrations do not exceed 6% and 18% respectively.

Concentrations greater than this can be administered by a registered dental professional while the patient is under their direct care (e.g. in their surgery throughout the duration of the treatment).