The UQ School of Dentistry is in the news again for its involvement in a landmark legal case regarding whether tooth whitening constitutes the practice of dentistry. The School has been training students in this procedure for many years, and has been offering the only dental board-recognised course for dental hygienists and dental therapists in this area for the last 4 years.
Professor Laurie Walsh was an expert witness in the case, heard in Victoria, in which the Dental Practice Board of Victoria brought an action against a beauty therapist for the illegal practice of dentistry, for performing tooth whitening. The client suffered chemical burns and other adverse effects of the treatment. These and other problems have been identified in
publications from UQ over recent years, and this led to the development of a specific program for dental professionals to address both safety and effectiveness issues.
Earlier in 2009, other
publications from Professor Walsh were the centrepiece of a successful action brought by the Australian Dental Association Inc against Coca Cola Amatil in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for false and misleading advertising regarding softdrinks, oral health and general health.