During this holiday season I actually ventured into one of the Nation's most presitgious malls (Tyson's Corner Mall in Vienna Virginia). The shopping center was packed with thousands of people looking for last minute gifts and deals-
On the way out- I was startled to see a kiosk in the center of the mall that was specialing in "Immediate Whitening"-
There was seating for four people and they were biting into plastic trays with a light and whitening gel. This seemed at first, similiar to what dental offices do with Zoom!/ Britesmille or Sapphire in-office tooth whitening.
However- this kiosk did not have any running water and no obvious infection control to protect the health of it's "patients". There was no doctor on duty to supervise the procedure. There wasn't any means to suction the "patient's" saliva during the course of the 20-60 minute process ( which can cost up to $500!).
Without obvious means to control the spread of infection- an unsuspecting client of this whitening kiosk could be at risk for a variety of diseases- including: Hepatitis/ Herpes/ H1N1 or worse.
Then there the safety issues of burning your gums and lips with the peroxide gel used along with sensitivity. All of these issues are dealt with properly in a dental office- Your dentist can give you a better and more predictable experience when you whiten your teeth. There are many State Boards of Dentistry that are clsoing these kiosks down because they are practicing dentistry without a license. From my view- it appeared that the profit motive of this Whitening kiosk superseded the safety of its clients-
Updates to follow...
