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In the coming month, the US Supreme Court will hear a case from North Carolina regarding tooth whitening and who can provide these services. In a nutshell, the NC Dental Board, which has oversight of all practicing dentists and hygienists and is responsible for the safe and proper administration of dental services, has challenged the "mall whitening centers" claiming they are providing a dental service and are not licensed to do so. The Federal Trade Commission has challenged this ruling and claims it is illegal on the grounds of restriction of competition and is trying to keep non-dentists out of this business. We wanted to give you our input and advice as you look for ways to whiten and brighten your smile.
There are several ways to whiten teeth:
- Tray systems and bleaching gel dispensed by dentists
- Over the counter systems- CrestWhitestrips for example
- In-office one day treatment
The gold standard for over 20 years has been the tray systems that we custom create for patients. It has the best results - long lasting results, and the ability to touch things up when the patient desires.
The next best system has been WhiteStrips. They use a less concentrated solution than the trays, are not as easy to use, and not as comfortable as the trays. Touching up your teeth requires purchasing a new box/set of strips and repeating the entire process.
The one-day in office treatment is considered a good jump start to the whitening process and usually needs to be followed up with tray whitening at home to get the best results.
In the end the tray systems are the most economical and provide the best results for the long term. That is why we have avoided the in-office products (Zoom is the most common name brand you may have heard of).
We strongly oppose people using the mall whitening for several reasons:
- They simply just do not work well. You might get a quick change but nothing that will last.
- Who is making sure there are not dental problems that must be treated first? Who is monitoring what chemicals are being used?
- It is not a good use of your money. We think it is a waste of time and money that you can not recover if you are unhappy with the results.
Our opposition is not based on fear of competition or worry that we are losing out on revenues. It is based simply on our belief that having a dental procedure done by people with no dental knowledge or licensing, is not in the best interest of our patients. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about whitening or any procedures.
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