The battle lines are drawn in the world of dentistry. On one side there are the dentists, sharpening their dental scrapers and prepping their laughing gas and on the other are the dental hygiene companies who have recently moved into the affray. The battle lines are drawn over one issue, home teeth whitening sets and both sides are adamant that the other are wrong. The battle has produced a couple of low blows already and it is only set to escalate.

Teeth whitening is still the biggest money spinner to many dental practitioners across the UK so it was much to their dismay when teeth whitening sets began to appear on the local market. They were so unhappy that a mysterious rumour appeared stating that home teeth whitening sets could cause cancer. This was disproved by a study rather briskly however the dentists believe that the procedure should be left to medical professionals.

This has not stopped dentists moving into the cosmetic surgery market, despite the fact they have not been trained in the procedures and there is currently no self-regulation of dentists performing procedures they have not had training for. They are adamant however that teeth whitening should remain exclusively within the realms of dental practice, the fact that they charge anything from around 150-200 GBP of course has no influence on their moral standpoint.

Teeth whitening sets can be purchased from chemists and online and it is advised that if you have any specific dental problems you do consult your dentist before using them. Teeth whitening kits cannot contain the same concentration of the active whitening agent as the dental profession can use, so in this respect the dentists have won a battle. The teeth whitening kit cost one eight of what a dentist whitening treatment will cost you so the kits have it on price.

Surely the point has to be made that with the introduction of Botox and chin tucks as an optional extra with your fillings, the dentists are being blatantly hypocritical. They might have general medical training however so have the professionals who have produced, tested and approved the teeth whitening kits. Can dentists provide the necessary aftercare and provisions for complications not uncommon when dealing with cosmetic surgery?

Is that any safer than giving a home whitening kit to a relatively competent individual with simple instructions of use? Millions of people each year use teeth whitening kits so the answer is the consumer do not think so and with the dentists claiming annual salaries in the hundreds of thousands of pounds annually, no one has brought out the violin for them just yet.

The truth is that the results from the dental treatment will get you results faster but will cost 150-200GBP per session hence could end up costing something in region of 800-1000GBP, breast augmentation not included. The teeth whitening kits will take longer and cost 25GBP per kit with refills costing a fraction of that. The teeth whitening kits are perfectly safe albeit the same results might not be achieved.