A southwest dental practice owner has spoken out against the ‘selfie-generation’ and the risks they are going to in order to appear more attractive.

Dr Sugen Govender from Exeter thinks that the younger generation are happy to pay hundreds of pounds on cosmetic dentistry, including teeth whitening, but would not pay for routine hygiene treatments; such as those helping to prevent tooth decay.

In response to demand from young adults, he has started a weekly teeth bleaching clinic to provide the procedure they want in a legal environment. Dr Govender said: “The world revolved around image and beauty. I realised that by giving people what they want I can educate them about what they need.”

In May 2013 the High Court ruled that tooth whitening is a practice of dentistry and should only be undertaken by regulated dental professionals. Despite strict controls on who can carry out teeth whitening, a number of non-dental professionals and online websites are continuing to offer and perform whitening treatments. Dr Govender said that he wants to offer a ‘safe’ and ‘professional’ service to prevent people causing harm to themselves from over the counter and internet products.

Indeed, fellow Exeter dentist Dr Grant McAree issued a warning after an Exeter man burned his voice box on teeth whitening gel purchased online.

Milsted Langdon’s head of Dental Services, David Jacobs, is a member of the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants & Lawyers (NASDAL), meaning we are able to draw on a wealth of knowledge and expertise from accountants and lawyers around the country who, between them, act for over 5,000 dental clients in the UK. To find out how our specialist accountants for dentists can help you, please contact us.