EU teeth whitening law

ComputerKing

I can't help but wonder what exactly is the point of this law beside preventing people under 18 from having their teeth whitened which to me seems a bit pointless. For example I just got my braces off last week and was yesterday in the hygienist for my regular scale and polish and I asked about teeth whitening and was told this law prevents me from getting them whitened until I'm over 18. So basically for no reason I've been prevented from safely whitening my teeth. So can I ask what are dentists opinion on this my own dentist said the law is bs.

davo10

Do you believe a 16 year old should be allowed to have Botox/collagen injections?

helimachoptor

yeah im not even a dentist and i see the sense.

Anything cosmetic that can potentially have adverse consequences

teeth bleaching, botox, sun beds, hair transplant :pac:

Shouldnt be done until 18 or over

ComputerKing

There is a big difference between teeth whitening and botox now. Botox is used to treat active facial lines and fillers are used to treat firmly established wrinkles now if any 16 year old needs to use these then there is an underlying problem. Same with hair transplants at such a young age. Teeth whitening at your dentist is controlled and safe that's the reason I think the ban is bs as it prevents me and other 15 year olds from safely whitening our teeth and forces us to use possible dangerous products to get whitening results. Teeth bleaching is also perfectly safe once done correctly. Lastly sun beds should be permanently banned due to the issues they cause or the ban for under 18s should at least be properly enforced.

davo10

ComputerKing wrote: »

There is a big difference between teeth whitening and botox now. Botox is used to treat active facial lines and fillers are used to treat firmly established wrinkles now if any 16 year old needs to use these then there is an underlying problem. Same with hair transplants at such a young age. Teeth whitening at your dentist is controlled and safe that's the reason I think the ban is bs as it prevents me and other 15 year olds from safely whitening our teeth and forces us to use possible dangerous products to get whitening results. Teeth bleaching is also perfectly safe once done correctly. Lastly sun beds should be permanently banned due to the issues they cause or the ban for under 18s should at least be properly enforced.

Some would argue that a 15 year old should not need to get their teeth whitened. Remember at 15 you are below the age when you alone can give consent for even the least invasive dental treatments, a parent needs to give that. Having age guidelines does not force you to buy dangerous products, it protects you from them. Whitening is a medical procedure which is safe when done within the guidelines (also recommended by manufacturers), one of these is age but there are many others. I know it seems silly to you but with age hopefully comes wisdom, until people have that, the guidelines are there to protect them.

ComputerKing

But my parents are consenting to the treatment as am I that is my problem I have my parents consent and my dentist said had it not been illegal he would do it for me as he did to my sister when she was 16 and had just gotten her braces off and she has had no problems due to the whitening. I also understand I need parental consent to due nearly all dental treatments but if my parents consent to 4 extractions for cosmetic reasons and consent to me having braces for 4 years why can't they consent for me to have my teeth whitened in a safe environment at my dentists so now instead we are having to look at having to buy over the counter products which are less effective but may pose a greater health risk.

davo10

ComputerKing wrote: »

but if my parents consent to 4 extractions for cosmetic reasons and consent to me having braces for 4 years why can't they consent for me to have my teeth whitened in a safe environment at my dentists so now instead we are having to look at having to buy over the counter products which are less effective but may pose a greater health risk.

Your parents can consent to any cosmetic procedures in your behalf but if the clinician is prohibited from providing them to you, then they will not be provided. Extractions and orthodontic treatments have physical benefits to you, not merely cosmetic. Whitening is purely cosmetic, there are no physical/health benefits to you, you may need ortho treatment, no one "needs" whitening so they are not governed by the same rules. Again you do not "have" to buy whitening products but you may choose to, there is a difference.

Computer king, you may not understand the reasons why certain procedures require the patient be over a certain age, but the guidelines are for your protection. Your body is not fully grown and though you yourself may be mature for your age, able to weigh up the merits and drawbacks of each treatment, many 15 year olds are not. The guidelines are there to protect the ones who are not.

ComputerKing

davo10 wrote:

Your parents can consent to any cosmetic procedures in your behalf but if the clinician is prohibited from providing them to you, then they will not be provided. Extractions and orthodontic treatments have physical benefits to you, not merely cosmetic. Whitening is purely cosmetic, there are no physical/health benefits to you, you may need ortho treatment, no one "needs" whitening so they are not governed by the same rules. Again you do not "have" to buy whitening products but you may choose to, there is a difference.

Well firstly the braces were purely cosmetic and the extractions had a small few health benefits. However I don't understand why I have to suffer because some people can't consider the pros and cons of teeth whitening and the legislation should reflect the fact that some of us can consider them and that with parental consent they should be given to use.

Also I see no reason to ban under 18s from receiving whitening treatments from their dentist as most under 18s can't afford the couple of hundred professional teeth whitening costs. These laws also force us to over the counter treatments. For example the current plan being knocked around by myself, my dentist and my parents is that when I'm on holidays in the US I we will buy 2 courses of crest professional white strips which my dentist will research their safety then if safe I will use the strips while getting check ups from my dentist to ensure they aren't causing damage. However these are never going to be as good as in house treatments and this plan is far more complicated than going to my dentist having moulds made and been given whitening gel like my sister got done.

davo10

ComputerKing wrote: »

Well firstly the braces were purely cosmetic and the extractions had a small few health benefits. However I don't understand why I have to suffer because some people can't consider the pros and cons of teeth whitening and the legislation should reflect the fact that some of us can consider them and that with parental consent they should be given to use.

Also I see no reason to ban under 18s from receiving whitening treatments from their dentist as most under 18s can't afford the couple of hundred professional teeth whitening costs. These laws also force us to over the counter treatments. For example the current plan being knocked around by myself, my dentist and my parents is that when I'm on holidays in the US I we will buy 2 courses of crest professional white strips which my dentist will research their safety then if safe I will use the strips while getting check ups from my dentist to ensure they aren't causing damage. However these are never going to be as good as in house treatments and this plan is far more complicated than going to my dentist having moulds made and been given whitening gel like my sister got done.

Braces have a clinical benefit, they align your teeth improving occlusion, ability to keep teeth clean, reducing risk of decay, periodontal disease and jaw issues.

You are not "suffering" because your teeth are not white, it is purely a cosmetic treatment. Whether your parents can afford it or not, plays no part in the legal decision to prohibit its use on patients below 18 years of age, safety does. You are not "forced" to do anything, again this is a cosmetic treatment. And crest strips are an "over the counter" product as they contain much lower concentrations of the whitening agent than professional bleaching products, as a result they are safer to use but less effective.

OP your arguments could just as easily be made for the sale of alcohol, driving, voting etc. You may feel you are mature enough for all these but most 15 year olds are not. You can stamp your feet all you want but it is illegal to whiten teeth for anyone under 18, that is the law.

georgieporgy

ComputerKing wrote: »

But my parents are consenting to the treatment as am I that is my problem I have my parents consent and my dentist said had it not been illegal he would do it for me as he did to my sister when she was 16 and had just gotten her braces off and she has had no problems due to the whitening. I also understand I need parental consent to due nearly all dental treatments but if my parents consent to 4 extractions for cosmetic reasons and consent to me having braces for 4 years why can't they consent for me to have my teeth whitened in a safe environment at my dentists so now instead we are having to look at having to buy over the counter products which are less effective but may pose a greater health risk.

You make a very good argument and I agree entirely with you. Some young teenagers have very yellow teeth which causes considerable embarrassment. The EU decision to set the legal age for whitening at 18 is totally bureaucratic. Nothing to do with science. The best age to whiten is 14. (we're talking yellow teeth here Davo, )
You have a few legal choices:
1 get them whitened by a dentist in North America when you are there.
2 ask your dentist to make you some bleaching trays so you can practise wearing them while you await your 18th birthday.

In the meantime If your big sister lends you some of her bleaching gel (what are big sisters for?) I don't see what the EU can do about it.:)

ComputerKing

georgieporgy wrote: »

You make a very good argument and I agree entirely with you. Some young teenagers have very yellow teeth which causes considerable embarrassment. The EU decision to set the legal age for whitening at 18 is totally bureaucratic. Nothing to do with science. The best age to whiten is 14. (we're talking yellow teeth here Davo, )
You have a few legal choices:
1 get them whitened by a dentist in North America when you are there.
2 ask your dentist to make you some bleaching trays so you can practise wearing them while you await your 18th birthday.

In the meantime If your big sister lends you some of her bleaching gel (what are big sisters for?) I don't see what the EU can do about it.:)

We thought about option 1 and but decided against it as we didn't want to get it done in any random dental practice.

My Dad actually thought about option 2 and that's what we went with. I just happened to have top and bottom "gumsheilds" made the same day my father bought bleeching gel that might have happened to end up in my "gumshield".

work

Hi,
Yes you are right, this is a stupid law made by equally stupid people, nobody is enforcing it anyway. I an delighted you circumnavigated the issue as suggested in option 2 above.
To re-confirm there are teenagers that desperately need tooth whitening and it should be available to them. Shameful restriction.
best of luck with it.

Big_G

'Laws' regarding bleaching are flouted right left and centre and have been for some time. I would like to see the published evidence that led to the decision to select 18 as the arbitrary age below which bleaching should be restricted. There are other restrictions with regard to whitening for which I can't find any good evidence. I agree with Georgie and work. Can't see a good reason for the restriction.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Its totally stupid, the age of medical consent is 16 in Ireland. There are a number of indications for bleaching for teenagers, especially some antibiotic staining.