WARWICKSHIRE, United Kingdom – The value of the UK’s cosmetic dentistry market has increased many times over during recent years and, according to research by the Foundation, almost one in two of us would now consider dental treatment purely for cosmetic reasons.

The most common form of cosmetic dental treatment is tooth whitening.

However, while tooth whitening can be a highly effective way of improving the smile, the British Dental Health Foundation has warned that celebrities like Big Brother’s Jodie Marsh could persuade people to go too far.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, commented: “Tooth whitening is a relatively cheap and simple procedure, and if the results look natural it can significantly improve a person’s appearance.

“When choosing a shade, people need to take other factors such as their skin complexion into account to ensure that the results appear as natural as possible.

“If a person has a dark complexion and opts for an extremely white shade there is a danger that they will lose that naturalness, so be sure to speak to your dentist and consider your options before going ahead with treatment.”

Jodie’s own smile makeover was part of a Channel 5 show called All New Cosmetic Surgery Live. As well as tooth whitening she also had porcelain veneers fitted and the full treatment is said to have cost £15,000.

However, there are cheaper ways of achieving an attractive smile.

Dr Carter continued: “Developments such as fluoride toothpaste already mean that today’s generation has much, much better teeth than people did 30 or so years ago.

“A good oral health routine, including brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily and cutting down on the frequency of sugary foods and drinks will keep your smile looking its best.

“However, if you are still interested in having your teeth whitened, then speak to your dentist. Over the counter kits currently available in the UK contain too little bleach to be effective, while whitening toothpastes can be abrasive and strip the enamel from the teeth.

”Stronger home whitening kits are available on the Internet, but these should only be used once every 8-12 months at the most and there have been cases of people becoming ‘bleaching junkies’, using them frequently and ending up with unnaturally white teeth.

”The Foundation recommends that any tooth whitening treatment should be carried out professionally by a dentist.”

The British Dental Health Foundation is the UK’s leading oral health charity, with a 30-year track record of providing public information and influencing government policy. It maintains a free consumer advice service, an impartial and objective product accreditation scheme, publishes and distributes a wide range of literature for the profession and consumers, and runs National Smile Week each May, to promote greater awareness of the benefits of better oral health.

SOURCE: British Dental Health Foundation

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