A women in Scotland who sent for a "free" teeth whitening gel ended up paying £90 for the treatment after scammers helped themselves to the funds from her account.

Local newspaper the Sunday Mail reported Marie Grant, 44, of Airdrie had expected to pay just £3 postage for the gel – which was being shipped from the US – but instead realised she had been duped when the company took the additional amount.

"I used the gel pen and was not impressed but thought no more about it until I received a delivery of a further three whitening pens the same day as my credit card statement," Ms Grant told the publication.

Elsewhere, people living in Edinburgh could soon benefit from the setting up of the first dental surgery to offer dental veneers in the city.

The Scotsman reported Dr Biju Krishnan of the Lubiju dental practice in Leith has recently returned from California and plans to become only the third dental practitioner in Scotland to offer the treatment.

Anyone looking to have a teeth whitening procedure should consult their nearest and dearest to find a dentist who provides the best results, it has been claimed.

Sebastian Guthery, an industry commentator, noted it is important to find a reliable surgery when planning teeth whitening and one of the best ways to do this is to ask anyone else who has already had the procedure carried out and gauge their experiences.

Mr Guthery commented: "If you have relatives, close friends and colleagues who have undergone teeth whitening, they can be your best sources."

Meanwhile, Brits looking to get teeth whitening procedures carried out have been advised against doing so at a beauty salon, as they are not qualified to carry out the treatment.

Karen Coates, dental advisor for the British Dental Health Foundation, noted it is important not to take the treatment lightly, as it is a medical process and could cause damage to the teeth if carried out incorrectly.

People have been urged to brush their teeth regularly to maintain good oral health and to avoid trips to the emergency dentist.

AsiaOne Health reported the importance of maintaining a good oral health routine and noted individuals could benefit from undergoing an oral profile to ensure they are tackling any problems as early as possible.

In order to achieve this, Britons would need to book an appointment with a dental professional and discuss their individual oral health needs.

"If you don’t take preventive measures and seek treatment only when necessary, then the one-off treatments for advanced conditions might seem pricey," commented Dr Chung Kong Mun, president of the Society of Periodontology.

US-based local paper the Courier Journal recently reported that Dr Ted Raybould, a Lexington dentist and University of Kentucky professor, said it is imperative that children are taking to the dentist early in life in order to allay any fears they have at an early age.

In support of Mouth Cancer Action Month, a dental clinic in Weston-super-Mare is offering free mouth cancer screenings to patients.

Twenty 2 Dental, on Milton Road, will be carrying out the free screenings next month to help raise awareness of the condition and the impact it can have.

According to the Mouth Cancer Foundation, 5,000 Brits are diagnosed with the illness every year and as such, people are advised to have regular check-ups with their dentists, to maintain good oral health and to carry out self-examinations.

The foundation noted that early diagnosis of the disease can boost survival rates by up to 90 per cent.

Meanwhile, Dr Caron George, an emergency dentist from Cardiff, recently completed a half marathon around the city in aid of the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

He carried out the run to help raise awareness of the illness and also to raise funds for those presently suffering from the disease.

Children in County Longford, Ireland have to wait up to two years to see dentist, it has been revealed.

Local newspaper the Longford Leader reported cutbacks in spending have led to growing waiting lists for children who need dental work in the county, a development which could see many having to resort to the services of an emergency dentist.

"With the waiting period extended from four months to two years, who knows what damage will be done to their teeth in the interim," Fine Gael’s deputy James Bannon told the publication.

Meanwhile, US newspaper the Richmond Register recently highlighted the fact that 40 per cent of children in Kentucky have never seen a dentist.

The newspaper claimed more needs to be done to educate parents about the need for good oral health and the long-term damage that can be caused through gum disease, cavities and a lack of regular dental check-ups.

Beauty salons are not qualified to carry out teeth whitening procedures and anyone looking to have this treatment should visit a qualified dentist, it has been argued.

Karen Coates, dental advisor for the British Dental Health Foundation, said it is important to remember that teeth whitening is a medical procedure and it should only be carried out by a qualified professional.

She commented: "They do not have the clinical knowledge to assess the patient before they carry out the treatment because not everybody is suitable for tooth whitening."

For instance, Ms Coates noted someone who has a lot of sensitivity or enamel erosion may not be suitable for the treatment.

According to a survey by Align Technology, makers of Invisalign braces, 46 per cent of people feel embarrassed about their teeth.

In addition, 60 per cent of people agree straight, even teeth make for a great smile, while 32 per cent are most likely to notice their smile first when meeting a potential partner.

British parents have been warned that they could be passing their fears of emergency dentistry on to their children.

A report carried out by Cosmetic Dentistry Guide revealed parents could be passing on their fears and in order for children to have a positive feeling towards dental check-ups, it is important for them to go early in their lives.

The study also noted that dentists could play a part in allaying any fears by being pleasant and supportive when a child has its first check-up and ensuring they understand that dental health is all about making sure people’s teeth stay strong and healthy their entire lives.

Meanwhile, US-based local paper the Courier Journal reported that Dr Ted Raybould, a Lexington dentist and University of Kentucky professor, recently said people should not be anxious about visiting the dentist.

He noted there have been many innovations in dental medicine in the last few years, resulting in better pain-relieving treatments and faster healing times.

US newspaper the Richmond Register has highlighted the fact that 40 per cent of children in Kentucky have never seen a dentist.

The publication claimed more needs to be done to provide dental health services to children in the state and also to educate people about the need to see a dentist.

It noted that "such statistics are unacceptable" and the fact that there are too few dentists now needs to be addressed.

Furthermore, access to dental health services should not be constrained to when a person is in need of emergency dentistry, as many of the problems faced could be avoided through good oral health and regular check-ups.

Elsewhere, Nottingham councillor Ginny Klein, chair of the Health and Adult Social Care scrutiny committee, recently noted it is key for dental professionals to educate their patients about the benefits of good oral health and the need for regular check-ups and daily brushing and flossing.

People should not let worries over the dentist stop them from having their teeth regularly checked by a professional, it has been argued.

US-based local paper the Courier Journal reported that Dr Ted Raybould, a Lexington dentist and University of Kentucky professor, has said things like fear of drills, blood, suffocation or a procedure going badly can lead to many people waiting and waiting to see their dentist before finally needing emergency dentistry when a problem becomes too big to cope with.

Dr Raybould told the publication: "There’s a whole lot of reasons people are afraid to go to the dentist, not just [being] afraid of pain."

He noted, however, that modern dentistry can offer something for everyone and often people’s fears are unfounded.

Meanwhile, research carried out by the American Optometric Association recently showed that almost two-thirds of Americans (63 per cent) have cut back on the number of visits they make to their dentist in the last year because of recession.

Anyone contemplating handing out sweets to trick or treaters this Halloween have been urged to think of the damage all that sugar can do to a child’s teeth.

Dr Bill Manning, a dentist in the US, has instead urged people to give away money as this will not cause cavities or gum disease – leading to fewer trips to the emergency dentist for kids.

"Visiting your dentist twice a year and brushing daily are great preventative measures, but doing away with excess sweets altogether would really give your teeth a healthy boost," Dr Manning noted.

He added that by doing this, children still get to have all the fun of trick or treating, while also giving their piggy banks a healthy boost at the same time.

Meanwhile, a recent study carried out by the North West Public Health Observatory revealed that children in the north-west of England have the highest rate of oral health problems in the country.