Elaine Taylor-Valles of 106 Lord Street, 4 Westminster Chambers, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1LF faced two charges at Preston Magistrates’ Court.
It was alleged:
- She unlawfully practised dentistry by carrying out tooth whitening at Lord Street in Southport when she was not registered with the GDC contrary to the Dentists Act 1984;
- She unlawfully carried on the business of dentistry when she is not entitled to do so contrary to the Dentists Act 1984.
The GDC investigated after receiving a complaint from a member of the public about the manner in which her teeth had been whitened. During correspondence with the GDC, Ms Taylor-Valles admitted to being a “fully qualified beautician”, a title which is not recognised by the GDC.
The court has fined her £600 on each of the offences above and ordered her to pay £3,277 towards the GDC costs.
Advice for the public
Anyone considering having tooth whitening should see their GDC-registered dentist so they can assess whether treatment would be right or appropriate for them. Registered dental hygienists and dental therapists can also carry out tooth whitening on the prescription of a dentist.
Patients may want to ask their dentist some of the following questions.
- What types of tooth whitening are available and what are the differences between them?
- What sort of results can I expect?
- Who will be carrying out the procedure? What training and experience do they have?
- What can you do about stained veneers, crowns or dentures to make sure they match my natural teeth?
- What are the risks? Will it hurt?
- Is the work guaranteed for a certain length of time?
- What happens if I am unhappy with the results? Who will pay for any work that is done to correct any problems?
- Who can I contact for advice after treatment?
- What kind of insurance do you have?