DENTISTS told Tamara Morris, 27, that she had burnt her gums, after the beauty therapist bought a kit from a chemist that she hoped would clean stains to her teeth caused by coffee and red wine.

Although the £30 kit contained a bleach with less than 0.1 per cent hydrogen peroxide, Ms Morris soon suffered painful mouth ulcers after following instructions to use it once a day for a week.

“Although it burnt my mouth slightly when first I used the gel, I thought this was normal,” she said. “Afterwards, my teeth and gums were really sensitive and it really stung and hurt when I brushed my teeth, or when I drank anything hot.

“When I went to the dentist, he was shocked and told me I’d burnt my mouth and that I had sores on my gums resulting from the treatment.”

Despite the unwelcome side-effects, Ms Morris, from Farringdon, East London, said that the treatment had worked, improving the colour of her smile. She also said that she felt more confident in her appearance after spending £1,200 on a tooth-straightening procedure. Her smile was more symmetrical, she said.

But she advised anyone considering cosmetic improvements to their teeth to consult a dentist.

“Although I now have whiter teeth, I wouldn’t have bought a do-it-yourself kit if I’d known what it would do to my mouth.

“The mouthguard supplied didn’t fit properly and I wasn’t aware of any warnings about the bleach involved. In hindsight, it would have been much better to get a professional opinion first.”

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