Dentists: Don’t get your teeth bleached at the mall
Dentists are warning mouth-conscious shoppers not to get their teeth brightened at tooth-whitening kiosks.
Many dental professionals have become concerned that people are putting themselves at risk by undergoing cheap teeth-whitening procedures carried out by untrained amateurs.
Teeth-whitening has become a billion dollar industry and kiosks that perform the procedures are springing up at malls across the US, promising a brighter smile for a fraction of the cost that dental professionals charge.
Matt Dispensa, who owns teeth-whitening kiosk SmileBright, has claimed that it is not worth paying $250 to whiten teeth.
However, he admitted that he and his staff were using teeth-whitening substances without training.
Dr Steven Spitz, who works as an implant specialist at SmileBoston Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry, raised concerns saying that it is dangerous to undergo whitening procedures in cheap stores and kiosks because they are not regulated.
Some states have now begun to ban these unlicensed teeth-whitening services.
Mr Dispensa said that SmileBright employees never touch a client’s mouth but Dr Spitz said that people shouldn’t be allowed to put dangerous materials in their own mouths either, saying procedures should be performed by professionals in a controlled environment.
Dr Spitz also made the point that carbamide peroxide, the bleaching agent in tooth-whitening materials, can be extremely dangerous and can cause bleeding to gums and cheeks and even burns.
However, Mr Dispensa refused to admit that teeth-whitening is a dental procedure because he said he doesn’t diagnose people.
He added that he would welcome some sort of regulation and said customers were aware his staff were not professionals and had to acknowledge this by signing a waver before undergoing treatment.
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