Sir, further to Stephen Hancocks' article, Is lipstick oral health? (BDJ 2015;219: 367) we would argue that it is necessary to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute both individuals and businesses carrying out any form of dentistry, including tooth whitening, illegally.

The core function of the General Dental Council is to protect patients. Prosecuting individuals who cause, or have the potential to cause, irreparable damage to teeth or gums is just one of the ways we achieve this.

While it is true that many of the complaints we receive come from the people affected, we also receive a large number of complaints from dentists and dental care professionals. Good regulation benefits the profession because it ensures that patients and the public are protected and it enhances the reputation of the GDC as regulator as well as the profession generally.

The facts are these: it is a criminal offence to carry out tooth whitening without being on the register and we make no apologies for actively pursuing those who are not qualified and registered or who cause harm.

We want to work with dentists and dental care professionals to help us prevent and spot any illegal activity. Other than prosecuting cases of illegal tooth whitening, the work of the illegal practice team protect patients by ensuring that those who are suspended or removed from the register also refrain from practising.

It's important that we continue to publicise each successful prosecution so that the public and patients are aware of the risks involved should they choose to have tooth whitening from an unregistered individual.

We obviously respect the independence of the court. But it is also important to note that we have no control over the fines imposed.

Owing to a recent change in the law, we are very pleased that fines can now be imposed for an unlimited amount. A recent case prosecuted by us saw a salon owner in Liverpool fined £1,000 and we think this sends a clear message that this type of activity is not tolerated by the GDC or the courts.

Whilst we agree in principle that the larger the fine the greater the deterrent, the fine is not the only deterrent. When prosecuted, the person also receives a criminal conviction.

In addition to prosecuting, we are doing further work to try and prevent illegal activity from happening. We obviously can't do this in isolation so we are working with organisations such as Trading Standards, the Care Quality Commission, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulation Authority and the Police.

We're also working with Groupon and the Advertising Standards Authority to ensure that only registered GDC professionals can offer tooth whitening to the public.

Our work is broader than prosecuting; we grant registration to dental professionals who meet our requirements, we set standards for dental professionals and for providers of training, we set standards of conduct and performance and we investigate complaints and take appropriate action through fitness to practise.

As always, we would welcome your views on this important issue and how we can continue to improve our work. Please do contact us either via the GDC website, through social media or speak to any member of the GDC customer service team on 020 7167 6000.

1. GDC Director of Fitness to Practise