Megawhite Teeth Whitening

[Mimo9]

We were very impressed with the Megawhite Blue Fusion teeth whitening system at Pro Beauty yesterday and have put a deposit on this for our salon. It's an expensive investment, yes, but it's so quick (15 minutes) and totally painless so what's not to love!! The client opens their own sealed bag and inserts a pre-prepared gum shield into their own mouth so all the therapist does is switch on the lamp and keep a close eye on the client. However there are a lot of threads on here, mainly negative, saying this should be left to the dentists, and I completely get that if you are using peroxide, however this treatment seems so safe as it's peroxide free. I personally have had the dentist do this treatment for me a few times and oh boy does it kill and for ages. My teeth looked as good after the 15 minute treatment yesterday as they ever do after the peroxide treatment from the dentist so I feel confident enough to go ahead with it as I think my clients will love the speed and ease with which it is done. The company add insurance and the license onto your package so I'm sure that everything is covered. Just wondered if anyone else has this system and.....am I missing anything??

 

[CocoBellax]

I'm interested in this too please!! x

 

[Lynne Baker]

I have nothing to base my opinion upon except a gut feel, but I think the wheels are going to come off the tooth whitening gig in the not too distant future.

 

[Scissorz]

My friend is a dental nurse, she recently posted an article on FB regarding the fact the the GDC (General dental council) do not recognize the qualification of being a beauty therapist, therefore they were able to take a beautician to court who performed teeth whitening in her salon. She ended up with having to remove the teeth whitening system from her salon and a fine. I agree with Lynne on this one.

 

[beebeehair]

Any beautician practising teeth whitening is breaking the law and can be prosecuted. Believe it from someone who has been victim of this!

 

[J33XSS]

I do teeth whitening. I had my local trading standards visit me on Friday and took away some of my whitening gel for testing. She advised me that as long as I'm using less than 0.1% peroxide (which I am) then it's completely fine. I provided them with the MSDS sheets for the whitening gel, and the company details of my supplier of the non-peroxide whitening gel. Technically the non-peroxide gel can be purchased on the high street, all I am doing is providing the LED light to activate the gel and speed up the process x

 

[Liz Corbett]

I'm interested in this too please!! x

I've just joined the forum if you would still like further information please pm me.

 

[Liz Corbett]

My friend is a dental nurse, she recently posted an article on FB regarding the fact the the GDC (General dental council) do not recognize the qualification of being a beauty therapist, therefore they were able to take a beautician to court who performed teeth whitening in her salon. She ended up with having to remove the teeth whitening system from her salon and a fine. I agree with Lynne on this one.

The Clue here is in the word "performed", anyone from the beauty industry wishing to get involved in teeth whitening should seek out a self administered product that meets the "Cosmetic Product Safety Regulations" there are a growing amount of legal alternative's that meet the growing demands of the general public.

The beauticians who have been prosecuted were prosecuted for the "Illegal Practice of Dentistry" or for holding themselves out to be dental professionals.
teeth whitening in itself is not illegal, the use of products that exceed 0.01% peroxide is, as is holding yourself to be a dental professional whilst not registered with the council.

You can go for advice to the GDC however they are not in the business of supporting the beauty industry. For factual unbiased information the best place to seek advice is from your local trading standards office.

 

[Lynne Baker]

You can go for advice to the GDC however they are not in the business of supporting the beauty industry.

Indeed.
They are, however, in the business of successfully prosecuting beauty therapists.

Beautician pleads guilty in tooth whitening case

 

[libbylou]

100% agree with lynne on this, we are not dentists , we haven't got a clue whats going on in anyone's mouth, so why risk it ? To all the companies selling their systems i bet my life not one of them would give you free legal protection with your purchase, just incase you are prosecuted. Leave the teeth whitening to the professionals i,e the dentists.

 

[sanilulu]

100% agree with lynne on this, we are not dentists , we haven't got a clue whats going on in anyone's mouth, so why risk it ? To all the companies selling their systems i bet my life not one of them would give you free legal protection with your purchase, just incase you are prosecuted. Leave the teeth whitening to the professionals i,e the dentists.

I agree ... X

 

[Liz Corbett]

I agree ... X

We give free product insurance as part of our licence from a UK FSA approved broker with all packages. ABT will also add our product to your policy if you are insured through them.

 

[Liz Corbett]

Indeed.
They are, however, in the business of successfully prosecuting beauty therapists.

Beautician pleads guilty in tooth whitening case

There have been a number of beauty therapists who have "PLEAD GUILTY" to the Illegal Act of Dentistry. Some have been using products that do not meet the required standards, others have been misinforming the public as to their qualifications. I am in complete agreement that the Laws of our Land should be upheld, however things have progressed since the Dentists Act of 1984 and despite the "opinions" of the GDC there are several Companies who meet the Cosmetics Product Safety Regulations, who do not give dental advice, Do not put the their hands in their clients mouths, do not touch the lips, gums or even the product. TEETH WHITENING IS NOT ILLEGAL
The use of products that contain or release more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide is ILLEGAL this falls under the Cosmetic Product Safety Regulations and it is the Duty of Trading Standards to police these regulations.
It is also ILLEGAL for laymen to Practice Dentistry or to hold themselves out to be Dentists whilst not being registered with the GDC. The GDC are responsible for policing breaches of this Act.
As long as you are selling a Cosmetic Grade Product, Do not try to fool your clients into believing your are dentally qualified and do not apply the product (let your client insert this themselves) you will not be breaking either of these laws.

 

[libbylou]

I dont mean product insurance , what i meant was free insurance if the GDC decide to take you to court, i doubt very much you would back up any therapist taken to court, i think most would find themselves very much alone.

 

[Steph86]

As long as you are selling a Cosmetic Grade Product, Do not try to fool your clients into believing your are dentally qualified and do not apply the product (let your client insert this themselves) you will not be breaking either of these laws.

I wouldn't be paying someone for their time for something Id be doing myself. I don't see how that is classed as a 'service'?

I don't charge my clients to come to me & let them do their own nails. What would they be paying for?

Sell the home kits & let them take them away & DIY Problem solved, no one to blame but themselves.

Seems to be more of a loophole of how not to get prosecuted.

Surely there will be contra indications, but if you cant look in their mouth how would you know? Then again we aren't qualified to diagnose either.

Remember when Botox use to be done by beauticians?

 

[Liz Corbett]

I dont mean product insurance , what i meant was free insurance if the GDC decide to take you to court, i doubt very much you would back up any therapist taken to court, i think most would find themselves very much alone.

I am on this site now so that beauticians are getting balanced information, I do not only promote my product, I promote all healthy business's offering legitimate products & services I also believe that people should be given unbiased and accurate information in order that they can make informed choice's. This is why I advocate that advice should be sought from more than one source.

Our business is a prime example of receiving threats spanning a 10 year period from the GDC I'm pretty sure if they believed they could successfully prosecute me or my business associates they would have done so by now. I can't speak for other companies I can however assure you that we will defend our business if and when its challenged whether this is a direct challenge to ourselves our to our clients.

Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Public Health England and Local Government Authorities charged with protecting the public's Health and Safety have investigated several companies like ours and have confirmed to many that their products pose no risk to the public's health or safety. So that's that aspect covered,

Here is my "OPINION" remember I'm not responsible for passing Acts of Parliament any more than the GDC are and therefor my "OPINIONS" and yours are every bit as valid as theirs.

The GDC's main objective in its campaign to deter good honest business minded people from becoming involved in a massive growth area is to secure this highly profitable market for the financial gain of its membership it is not the manufacturers, distributors or the beauty industry searching for loopholes to provide products and services to meet public demand. The Cosmetics Product Safety Regulations are being met. It is in fact the GDC who are hankering back to an ACT that is 30 years old to find loopholes in an effort to retain this market for their fee paying registrants.

I would also like to say that I only joined salongeek less than 24 hours ago so I could be wrong on this one, however it would appear to me that the majority of response's for request for advice on this subject are coming from members affiliated to the GDC or other members who have taken advice from the GDC

 

[megawhite]

As usual, Liz is here from Megawhite to sprout nonsense.

She claims that the GDC are not lawfully backed and just have an "opinion" that is as valid as hers.

Part 1 of the Dentists Act 1984:

Part I The General Dental Council
1 Constitution and general duties of the Council.

(1)There shall continue to be a body corporate known as the General Dental Council (in this Act referred to as “the Council”).

(2)It shall be the general concern of the Council to promote high standards of dental education at all its stages and high standards of professional conduct among dentists, and the Council shall in particular perform the functions assigned to them by this Act.
​

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/24

Notice part 2 of the above says "the Council shall in particular perform the functions assigned to them by this Act."

Section 38:

Prohibition on practice of dentistry by laymen.

(1)A person who is not a registered dentist, a visiting [F1EEA practitioner] entered in the list of such practitioners, or a registered medical practitioner shall not practise or hold himself out, whether directly or by implication, as practising or as being prepared to practise dentistry.

(2)Any person who acts in contravention of subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the fifth level on the standard scale.
​

If you perform teeth whitening treatment you will be breaking the law and liable for a £5000 fine for each instance.

The General Dental Council are the regulator and from their website:

"The High Court case of GDC v Jamous confirmed that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry and can only be legally performed by a dentist or a dental therapist, dental hygienist or a clinical dental technician working to the prescription of a dentist.

You may have been told that offering tooth whitening treatment to individuals by handing them trays for self-administration and asking them to sign consent forms circumvents the law:
​
False. 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 would be illegal."

They have recently released a fly which is going in dental practices across the country:
http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Publications/Publications/Considering%20Tooth%20Whitening.pdf

They recently prosecuted a dental nurse on the 10th of July for carrying out laser, non peroxide teeth whitening so what chance would a beautician have in defending themselves?

Dental nurse struck off for dishonest behaviour

Megawhite has been featured twice in Andrew Penmans "scam busters" section of the Daily Mirror:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teeth-whitening-dispute-nothing-smile-3210595

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/teeth-whitening-megawhite-impression-teeth-3485865

People are taking Bryan Christie to court to try and get their money back but he has simply liquidated the company that sold the franchise and started a new one, to avoid the liability:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2118066

There have been quite a few prosecutions recently for "non peroxide self administered" tooth whitening:

2nd May 2014: GDC prosecutes Lancaster-based illegal tooth whitener
http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/GDC-prosecutes-Lancaster-based-illegal-tooth-whitener.aspx

1st May 2014: GDC prosecutes Norwich-based illegal tooth whitener
http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/GDC-prosecutes-Norwich-based-illegal-tooth-whitener.aspx

24th April 2014: Dental regulator prosecutes two women for illegal practice
http://www.gdc-uk.org/Newsandpublications/Pressreleases/Pages/Dental-regulator-prosecutes-two-women-for-illegal-practice.aspx

You should ask Megawhite why they no longer do any teeth whitening themselves - they must have decided it is too risky when the GDC is investigating them.

They have recently changed their website from offering to "book with us today" to

"Contact your local beauty salon, nail bar, tanning sallon, or hotel spa to find out if they offer megawhite products. Alternatively call our help desk to find locate your nearest provider"
​

current: http://www.megawhite.co.uk/book-today/

previous: http://web.archive.org/web/20130831174459/http://www.megawhite.co.uk/book-today/


They have also changed from a teeth whitening company to a "teeth whitening product supplier". They let you take the risk of prosecution!

current: http://www.megawhite.co.uk/about-us/

previous: http://web.archive.org/web/20130831174405/http://www.megawhite.co.uk/about-us/

current: http://www.megawhite.co.uk/procedure/
previous: http://web.archive.org/web/20130629210041/http://www.megawhite.co.uk/procedure/


There has been a lot of press coverage on Megawhite for you to read:

http://dentallaboratory.org.uk/dentistry-news/illegal-teeth-whitening-beautician-warned-with-fine/

http://www.cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/news/beautician-threatened-with-fine-for-offering-whitening-treatment-7212

http://www.consultingroom.com/blog/414/teeth-whitening---is-it-safe

http://www.gdpuk.com/news/latest-news/1534-beautician-in-dispute-with-megawhite

http://megawhite.pissedconsumer.com/

Zurich underwrite the insurance but if you phone and ask them if they would cover you if someone complained about the procedure or if the GDC took you to court, like they are doing more and more, they say that it would only cover problems related to a product that you sell.

Beware of companies like Megawhite offering £90000 of profit per year - if its too good to be true, then it must be!
https://tamar.safe-mail.net/cgi-bin...pages/Illegal-teeth-whitening/833767073316259

 

[izzidoll]

This topic has been discussed several times and all of this I formation is already on here.
To prevent any more promotional bumps of this thread I shall now close.