A Lancaster woman had had her case reopened after she was prosecuted for illegally whitening teeth and fined nearly £3,500. Hayley Wilding, 25, failed to attend her hearing at Lancaster Magistrates court but was found guilty in her abscess of unlawfully practising dentistry and carrying on the business of dentistry during her time working at Vanity Salon in Lancaster, last year. However, Ms Wilding was apparently unaware that the General Dental Council was taking legal action against her, as she had moved house and was not receiving any of the letters from the court; which means that the case has been reopened.
Ms Wilding maintains that she thought she had completed a legally certified tooth whitening training course and had only realised that there was a court case addressing her after reading about it in the paper. She told the Lancaster Guardian; ‘I’ve been in to sign a document at the court saying I didn’t know anything about it and they have put it on hold. I’ve been doing teeth whitening since last February, after I did a three-day course with a company down in Cardiff. It cost me £400.’
The beautician said that she had been reassured that the whitening was not being carried out with peroxide-based products, so it was legal, and she added that she found the rules ‘confusing’. She went on to say that she feels ‘stupid and embarrassed’ and ‘like a criminal.’
The General Dental Council released a statement saying; ‘If you want to carry out tooth whitening, either by yourself or as a business, you must qualify as a dentist, dental therapist or a dental hygienist.’
