On my latest trip to the mall I couldn't believe my eyes. There it was in the middle of a busy mall, a lady performing teeth whitening on a patient while inviting others to join on the other two chairs she had available. As a curious consumer, I asked how much the teeth whitening procedure costs. She said $99 and it's guaranteed for 4 shades lighter. If you think these procedures are being done by dentists, think again.
Teeth Whitening at mall kiosks are growing in popularity due to consumer convenience and naivety, and the ability for kiosk operators to quickly find willing customers. These kiosks are generally franchise owned, so they are not administered by dental professionals. They are not dentists, RDHs or RDAs, rather workers “dressed up” in medical garments to give people a false sense they are being treated by a dental professional. Besides the fact that one would look ridiculous doing this procedure in the middle of a busy mall, it is also dangerous. The catch that makes the process legal is that operators do not place the product in the “patient’s” mouth. Instead, the “patient” inserts the bleaching product themselves.
Undergoing professional teeth whitening at a kiosk can cause irreversible damages to your teeth. The bleach generally used at these kiosks consists of high concentration
hydrogen carbamide peroxide, usually 35%. This is what dental offices use. The chemicals at this high of a concentration are extremely acidic, and if not properly administered, can ruin tooth enamel.
Professional teeth whitening should always be done under the supervision of a DDS: A Dentist assesses patients, and decides on the advisability of bleaching, and prediction of outcome for each patient. Furthermore, the dentist will have knowledge of the oral anatomy, principles of patient care, and the possible dangers involved: i.e (if gums are not adequately protected or if there is gum disease).
Update 3/6/2008
A
Mall Teeth-Whitening Business has been Shut Down in South Carolina
“A teeth-whitening business at Haywood Mall in Greenville has been ordered to shut down by state regulators who say that the operators are practicing dentistry without a license.
In issuing the order, the state regulators said that the light the business uses for teeth whitening is is so strong it is only allowed to be used by a licensed dentist.
A state dentistry official told WYFF News 4 that similar businesses are being shut down all across the country. ”
Update 3/22/2008
ABC News released a video piece on this titled
Teeth Whitening Kiosks at the Mall. It looks like these kiosk operators did not know what they were doing.
Update 8/11/2008
All Glamour White locations have been shut down in Oklahoma.
iSmile, located at Tulsa's Promenade Mall is still open, but have limited their staff to one employee and no longer wear white lab coats to give the appearance that they are following the law.
Read more about it here.
Update 1/15/2009
Tennessee bans teeth whitening kiosks. The state now requires treatments to be performed only by licensed dentists, dental hygienists or registered dental assistants supervised by a dentist.
Source
Update 3/16/2009
Alabama bans teeth whitening kiosks.
Read more about it here.
Update 11/20/2009
The ADA has asked the FDA to evaluate teeth whitening product compounds for safety and classify them. Depending on the outcome of that evaluation, the whitening compounds could be available on an unrestricted, over-the-counter basis or, if determined to be at the upper end of risky, could be restricted to prescription-only availability.
"The tremendous expansion of products available directly to consumers and application of products in venues such as shopping malls, cruise ships, and salons is troubling since consumers have little or no assurance regarding the safety of product ingredients, doses or the professional qualifications of individuals employed in these non-dental settings,” the letter states."
Read more about it here.
Known Teeth Whitening Kiosk Businesses:
BleachBright
LightSpa
Da Vinci Whitening System
iSmile
iBrite
Laser Bright
iBriteExpress
WhiteSmileUSA
Whitening USA
Beacming White
WOW Smile Xpress
ShineWhite
XpresSmile
Glitzz
Beaming White
SpaWhite
Brite Impressions
- TeethWhiteningReviews.com
You get none of that at the mall.
The most unsafe method of teeth whitening is the procedure performed at the dentist where 35% Hydrogen peroxide and higher is used. I've seen people who went to the dentist to get their teeth whitened and ended up with a hole burned in their lip and severe teeth sensitivity. Many dentists I've talked with don't even like doing these procedures because "it hurts their patients."
You take your chances with the dentist John, and I will stick with the lower H202 level products available with White Strips and in the Mall.
Any time you get info about mall kiosks from a dentist, ask yourself, What's in it for him? When money is involved, you are sure to get a answer that will bring HIM more business.
First let me note the inaccuracies so the readers of this information have more accurate information.
1. There are no guarantees of color or shade improvement made. Customers are told that they may realize anywhere from one to six shades of improvement by utilizing the bleaching treatment.
2. The business is not normally a franchise. The business in the picture at the beginning of the story was company owned at the time the photograph was taken. It was then sold to a local resident.
3. The bleaching treatment provided does not require a dentist, RDH or RDA. Nor does the self administering of an over the counter or dental provided home bleaching kit.
4. The peronnel working the kiosk never claim to be dentist or licensed, or certified in any way. If asked, they would be happy to explain that they not dental professionals at all.
5. The process is no more dangerous than using any over the counter whitening or bleaching system.
6. The participants receiving teeth bleaching are not patients but customers. They are no more a patient than someone purhasing Crest White Strips.
7. The percentage of hydrogen peroxide is not 35%. It is well below 22% which is the maximum percentage that can be sold or administered by non dental personnel.
Now that some of the false information has been clarified I would ask about the responsibility of the person that would print such inaccurate information.
The CA Dental Board anonymously participated in a whitening session provided by one of the above named companies. After the session was completed the owner was advised by the member of the Board that they had done a great job and violated none of the criteria of the Dental Board regarding providing a dental procedure.
In fact in most states the procedure is not considered a dental procedure as the customer is never touched by the operator, the percentage of hydrogen or carbomide peroxide is under the percentage which must be administered in a dentist supervised office and the light used by the company in the first photo is LED and emits no distinguishable heat like the UV lights used by many dentist.
There is plenty of accurate information available via many credible resources. After digesting the information in this posting I would have to question the credibility and judgement of the writer and the site.
Steve Fuller
We understand the need to justify the existence of your business. Here are my replies to your points:
"There are no guarantees of color or shade improvement made. Customers are told that they may realize anywhere from one to six shades of improvement by utilizing the bleaching treatment."
Then the kiosk operator should not have said that the results were guaranteed.
"The business is not normally a franchise. The business in the picture at the beginning of the story was company owned at the time the photograph was taken. It was then sold to a local resident."
The article states that teeth whitening kiosks are “generally franchise owned.” Lightspa is a franchise operation. Your very own business, iSmile, is listed in the franchise section on entrepreneur.com: http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/rankings/franchise500-115608/2008,.html
"The bleaching treatment provided does not require a dentist, RDH or RDA. Nor does the self administering of an over the counter or dental provided home bleaching kit."
You are right, it does not require a dentist. This is why the article was written. Kiosk teeth whitening is unsafe. Any one-time teeth whitening treatment that takes only 15 minutes must have a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide. It generally takes over a week to see results with typical over-the-counter whitening products, such as Crest White Strips (10% carbamide peroxide).
"The personnel working the kiosk never claim to be dentist or licensed, or certified in any way. If asked, they would be happy to explain that they not dental professionals at all."
The laymen consumer will not know the right questions to ask. To avoid confusion, all signage should state that the personnel working are "not dentists or licensed, or certified in any way."
"The process is no more dangerous than using any over the counter whitening or bleaching system."
What scientific evidence do you have to back this up?
"The percentage of hydrogen peroxide is not 35%. It is well below 22% which is the maximum percentage that can be sold or administered by non dental personnel."
For clarification, what hydrogen peroxide percentage does iSmile use? Stating that it is below 22% is not specific enough.
"the light used by the company in the first photo is LED and emits no distinguishable heat like the UV lights used by many dentist."
Then what is the purpose of the light if not to dehydrate the teeth? http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/artman/publish/teeth-dehydration-effects-during-bleaching.php
In addition to the medical garments the personnel wear, is the company further misleading the consumer with a light that does not do anything?
"The CA Dental Board anonymously participated in a whitening session provided by one of the above named companies. After the session was completed the owner was advised by the member of the Board that they had done a great job and violated none of the criteria of the Dental Board regarding providing a dental procedure."
This is extremely vague and without reference
"There is plenty of accurate information available via many credible resources."
Where can we find this "accurate information"?
In response to your points:
"Then the kiosk operator should not have said that the results were guaranteed."
The reason why most of these kiosk operators say that results are guaranteed is because most of these kiosks operators offer a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. That's something that your dentist will never offer!
"The article states that teeth whitening kiosks are “generally franchise owned.” Lightspa is a franchise operation."
So what if it's a franchise. There are many reputable franchise operations in our country.
"You are right, it does not require a dentist. This is why the article was written. Kiosk teeth whitening is unsafe. Any one-time teeth whitening treatment that takes only 15 minutes must have a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide. It generally takes over a week to see results with typical over-the-counter whitening products, such as Crest White Strips (10% hydrogen peroxide)."
You assume because its 15 minutes that they "must have a high concentration of H202"??? This is where your whole argument falls apart. Your assumption is incorrect and reflects clearly that you have not done your research. You claim that this type of service is unsafe based on your misguided assumptions. As a result, the whole point of your article, that this is unsafe, is bogus.
"The laymen consumer will not know the right questions to ask. To avoid confusion, all signage should state that the personnel working are "not dentists or licensed, or certified in any way."
Absurd! Should we also insist that the clerk at the local grocery store who sells Crest White Strips post signage everywhere stating that they are "not dentists or licensed, or certified in any way." ?
"The process is no more dangerous than using any over the counter whitening or bleaching system."
"What scientific evidence do you have to back this up? "
Common Sense! You are the one claiming in your article that it's unsafe...what scientific evidence do you have to back this up? So far, you've based everything on your incorrect assumption that they are using 35% hydrogen peroxide.
If you want to rail against usafe teeth whitening with 35% peroxide, you should refocus your attention on the dentists who are the only ones using this high percentage. You should also research the thousands of patient complaints against DENTAL teeth whitening due to this high percentage.
"Then what is the purpose of the light if not to dehydrate the teeth? In addition to the medical garments the personnel wear, is the company further misleading the consumer with a light that does not do anything?"
There is wide debate on the effectiveness of a light in the bleaching process. The lights used by the dentists give off much more heat and therefore result in more tooth dehydration. According to the information in the link you provided, the light in the kiosk that is not as strong as the dental light, would probably contribute to better whitening results because there is less heat and therefore less dehydration so the bleaching agent isn't fighting as many "teeth fluids" coming out of the teeth.
If you're going to argue that bleaching lights don't work, then it's only fair to bring all the dentists who use the lights into your focus as well and not just attack the lights being used in the mall.
Regarding the "medical garments"...there are many professions where people who are not dentists wear lab coats or scrubs. Would you feel more comfortable if the next time you get a manicure/pedicure, facial, massage, etc. that the technician helping you would wear a trash bag?
"There is plenty of accurate information available via many credible resources."
Where can we find this "accurate information"?"
GREAT QUESTION...I suggest you start researching before you write your next article
"You assume because its 15 minutes that they "must have a high concentration of H202"??? This is where your whole argument falls apart. Your assumption is incorrect and reflects clearly that you have not done your research. You claim that this type of service is unsafe based on your misguided assumptions. As a result, the whole point of your article, that this is unsafe, is bogus."
If the H202 concentrations are in fact at the same level of over-the-counter products, 15 minutes of H202 contact is not enough time for deep teeth infusion and certainly not enough time to bring about long term results. If you are comparing this procedure to regular over-the-counter products, $149 is a complete rip-off. Why not just get crest white strips and do it in the privacy of your own home for $35 bucks?
"If you're going to argue that bleaching lights don't work, then it's only fair to bring all the dentists who use the lights into your focus as well and not just attack the lights being used in the mall."
The site shows that laser/light whitening does not work in other articles:
http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/artman/publish/teeth-dehydration-effects-during-bleaching.php , and there is another one as well.
It looks like you need to do your research.
Who said these products were the same as other over the counter products? If you take the time to read above, I believe that it's clear that they are a bit higher and therefore more effective.
The point is that they are well under 35% which the author of the article claims to be unsafe. The only people using 35% H202 are some dentists.
And regarding the light...that link you posted was already posted above. It was very interesting. Can you now tell me why so many dentists are using high powered lights to whiten their patients teeth if the light doesn't work?
There's plenty of debate about the light...here's a link for you with a study that shows the light is indeed effective...
http://www.zoomnow.com/clinicals/Zoom2_eval_lamp_white_paper.pdf
http://www.zoomnow.com/clinicals/Zoom2_eval_lamp_white_paper.pdf"
A study sponsored by the makers of the Zoom2 Light, Discus Dental? Common now! Are we that naive?
Are you afraid to anwer the question...if the light doesn't work, then why are so many dentists using it?
I believe dentists who use lights for in-office treatments are scamming patients as well. This should be addressed... perhaps in another article? Nontheless, the majority of dentists out there will have the well-being of patients as their primary goal.
I woould choose a well qualified dentist over a kiosk for professional teeth whitening any day.
cheers.
You owe an apology to your small readership for your lack of integrity. "The bleach generally used at these kiosks consists of high concentration hydrogen peroxide, usually 35%".
35% Peroxide? Where did you get that information?
Seriously, give us a source. We are all waiting in eager anticipation. I'll bet everyone on this board a free whitening that you are a dentist or hygienist. Could you be a little biased?
You assume the worst scenario, yahoo renegade businesses out to screw people at the malls by tricking them into believing they are dentists then hurting them by placing unsafe chemicals in their mouths. Laughable.
Have you considered the possibility that companies such as WhiteSmileUSA have a proven track record with over 25,000 whitenings? Did you contact any of these companies? Can YOU name sources for your bogus facts?
Not even sure why I wasted time replying,
Jim Valentine
To maintain unbiased our site keeps all comments live - even criticisms of this site and article.
You do a hit piece on legitimate businesses by using a scare tactic then demand that the companies list their proprietary formulas? Not how it works. If you had called me to "interview" me I would have gladly told you our percentage, off the record. Our % is proprietary because we did months of research to find the right balance of results and low side effects (soft tissue irritation and sensitivity), and giving that out is not in my company's best interests on a chat site. When approached by any agency we are happy to produce MSDS sheets that show the make up of our product.
Again, you owe your readers an apology with your original piece. It was a great example of poor journalism, especially from a supposed "unbiased" site.
WhiteSmileUSA's system is the best system for consumers. We don't over promise results, we are upfront with our clients about potential side effects, and offer a system where they can maintain their white teeth without using a regimen-based system (which most consumers don't follow) or go into the dentist and get fried by power bleaching solutions.
Brings up an interesting point here, questioning the safety of mall kiosks is interesting when the evidence of serious side effects lies with DENTAL solutions. I know this from talking to tens of thousands of ACTUAL consumers and taking customer surveys (real market research, something I doubt you have done). I also know this from actual dentists who buy my system.
On the legality of our system, the Dental Boards are simply posturing. While they can bend interpretations of existing statutes, there are no laws prohibiting our product. We have been operating over a year and have never been "shut down". The SC case is an instance of a scare tactic. Where in ANY state statute, SC or other, is there any mention of a LED light being a medical device. Not there. SC Dental Board cannot regulate a cosmetic practice. Period. They can get a Cease and Desist order, which is meaningless. The real case is the injunction hearing or actual court case. No State has won an injunction hearing because they can't. So, the MO here is is try unsuccessfully to shut down this segment, fail, then try to discredit it with hit pieces like yours.
The only people upset by this are dentists. Hurts when a billion dollar monopoly starts to erode.
I don't feel the procedure being done in the mall is unsafe, but there are some patients who are not good candidates for this type of procedure. Without examining someones mouth, it would be difficult to determine if you are one of them. But again even though it may cause more discomfort, it is not going to cause permanent harm.
I supose just like everything, there are some dentists who are ethical and conservative and there are some who are greedy and without morals. If all aspects are followed properly and things are clean, and realistic expectaions are informed, I don't have a problem with it.
The article was truly an hysterical event. Speaking as a teeth whitening manufacturer of 9 years bith over the counter and to dentist, there are too many false statements to even address. The truth is no lights work. Dentist have been using lights for curing of composites etc for 30 years. Then came Brite Smile, Zoom and others to market a teeth whitening light to dentist. ALL research not published by marketers of lights (mainly dental schools etc.) state no neglible difference with or without the light. Percentages stated here are wrong. 3 to 1 ratio between carbamide and hydroge peroxide. 16% HP=48% CP. The only difference between the high precntages in a dental office and the OTC products is how many treatments to get the same whiteness you want. 16% CP OTC product vs dental office treatment simply means you do 6 treatments at home to establish the same results.
The wonderful world of marketing opportunity. The whitening biz via selling lights to dentist is defintely the biggest AND MOST INGENIUS fisaco of marketing spending millions to sell lights to dentist for (when first started) $7,000+ each.
Wish we sold the lights then rather than manufacturing the gel............
It's obvious, by reading your postings above, that you are looking for any reason to discredit this new segment of the market that is not only effective, but more convenient than OTC products and safer and more affordable than traditional teeth whitening procedures done at the dentist.
Yes, the peroxide percentages are a bit higher than other OTC products. No where above is it specifically stated that they are a bit higher than Crest White Strips, which, according to another article on this website, contain a percentage of H202 that is less than 5%.
The main point of all of this is that the author of this article stated that "the bleach generally used at these kiosks consists of high concentration hydrogen peroxide, usually 35%." - This statement is completely FALSE.
Here is a fact for you... This new segment of Cosmetic Teeth Whitening offers the public a teeth whitening product that is Fast, Safe, Effective, and Affordable. The bleach used in the products of the legitimate companies in this segment consists of a concentration of peroxide that is high enough to produce good results, but low enough to cut the severe side effects that people experience at the dentist - it's a good balance.
Unfortunately there are some dentists and dental hygienists who are extremely possessive of their trade, have huge egos, and feel threatened by this new segment in the market. As a result these dentists and hygienists will continue to mislead the public and slander those in the cosmetic teeth whitening industry.
The truth is that the LightSpa treatment, because it is a 15 minute self-administered procedure is very safe. The vast majority of our customers experience no side effects at all. Unlike most dental patients.
The basis of most whitening products is hydrogen peroxide. It has been thoroughly researched over the last decade or so and has been overwhelmingly pronounced safe and effective.
But the dentists will make it seem like it's a procudure that needs to be closely monitored in order to aviod serious complications. You can't really blame them. Some people will always feel more comfotable having the whitening treatment done by a dental assistant and they'll pay for that level of assurance. Other people will feel comfortable with an over the counter treatment. And some will like the ease and low cost of the LightSpa product.
The fact remains that this business will be common in malls and salons within a year. It's moving in that direction at a rapid pace and there's no stopping it. As long as people are allowed to buy Crest Whitestrips in any grocery store, people will be allowed to self administer the LightSpa products in malls and salons. And they'll continue to do so because it's much quicker, and much more effective.
It is our job as a franchise to bring up the standard for professionalism within this new industry. We want to make sure that our customers are provided with a sanitary environment and receive the best experience possible.
Gary Bodley
LightSpa
What measures are taken to ensure that the "patient" at the mall doesn't have active decay? If there are no true dental personnel there examining the teeth, how irresponsible is it to subject someone to the horror of bleaching agents getting in decayed areas?
What about periodontal disease? Is someone monitoring for that too?
Let's face it, not everyone is a candidate for tooth whitening.
Seems to me that the kiosk operators are the irresponsible, greedy parties here, not professional dentists who are trained in the anatomy and inner workings of teeth.
According to Flosser's logic and yours for that matter, all Crest WhiteStrips, Aquafresh whitening trays, and other over the counter bleaching products should be pulled from the shelves.
What measures are taken to examine the oral health of customers that buy these over the counter bleaching products before they put them in their shopping carts?
The reason this is possible is because these products are for the most part safe they are no where near as dangerous as you and your minority of egotistical dental associates would like to scare the public into believing.
Of course it's a good idea for anyone considering teeth whitening to discuss the options with their dentist. However it's time for you guys stop making biased, hypocritical, and unrealistic aruments against this segment of cosmetic teeth whitening that provides the public with a safer, more convenient, and more affordable solution to traditional dental or other over the counter procedures.
If your going to stand by your position in your last point, I suggest you lobby to make the public sale of Crest White Strips illegal without a dental consultation. Good Luck!
If that's your position, then that's fine--case closed. But if your position is that kiosk whitening is better (i.e., more powerful and effective) than White Strips, then you can't feign surprise when dental professionals ask that it be held to a higher standard.
Are you feeling okay? I'll tell you what's happening here. Your bias has blinded you from the fundamental fallacy of your argument. You're so upset that other people have come up with a way to whiten teeth that is superior in all aspects to yours, that you are unable to rationally process a thought. You are like a poker player on tilt.
You are the only one who has ever argued or said that kiosk whitening is no different from WhiteStrips. Newsflash John. It's not the same, it's better. Not only is it better than WhiteStrips, but it's safer than the 35% peroxide that those in your dental community use.
Your hypocrisy has no bounds. How can you sit there and preach about safety when the most severe side affects associated with teeth whitening occur from the procedures given by you and your dental professionals?
This is simple...try to put your bias aside and follow this point:
Here are your words - "There are people out there who have dental conditions that make bleaching particularly unsafe for them. Are you aware of those conditions? Are the people who run the kiosks?"
Kiosk teeth whitening is self administered and is an over the counter product. Please answer this question John...who is aware of those conditions you speak of when a person buys any over the counter bleaching product?
What measures are taken to examine the oral health of customers that buy bleaching products before they put them in their shopping carts?
Once you answer these questions, then I will be happy to address your next attempt to discredit this industry which I know you are already contemplating.
To the dentist:
A needed and respected Doctor who after years of study deserves our respect for their expertise! Kudos!
But why the fight over a cosmetic over the counter treatment??
Does a dermatoligist have a complaint about tanning beds? Does a tanning bed technician monitor how long your entire body should be under UV and the frequency of your visits!!Are they trained in sanitizing a tanning bed where bodily fluids are left in a location where they can transfer from one person to another???
To the teeth whitening companies:
Congrats on your innovation in finding a solution to achieve results with your process and take care in choosing your people. (as in any consumer service industry).
I would have more concerns going to a nail or tanning salon. How do they sterilize a pedicure bath. Also if a employee in a industry does error is that entire industry not safe?
Speaking out about a particular incident does not damn and industry.
I guess the question is who has the higher net gross profit per whitening, that seems to be the argument here. The article has lost all it's might due to the fact it has erroneous facts.
Thanks for the brain tease but thats all it was. Not that hard to see the truth playing out here.
I bring all this up because articles like yours condone a negative attitude toward a legitimate industry full of people just trying to sell a safe, convenient product at a great price. Save the righteous, (misplaced) indignation for a worthy cause.
Also, dentists should actually not feel all that threatened seeing how the in office treatments still seem to give the whitest results. While some customers or patients if you will, prefer to bypass the highly concentrated bleach used in dental offices for a much less expensive and more comfortable procedure, there are still going to be plenty of people that will only trust their dentist, and think the higher prices mean better results. Heck, actually if you want to know the truth, dentists should buy a light for their offices, charge $150.00 to $300.00 for the treatment, and be making way more money than they are with their current treatments because more people can afford it, and it dosen't take up nearly as much chair time.
As you know, I haven't claimed that the use of a product like White Strips needs to be overseen by a dentist. Why? Because of the relative weakness of it. That's not to say it's ineffective--only that it's not as effective as what dentists offer. It can't be; by law, being an OTC product, it has to be kept weak. Now, I imagine that Crest made them as strong as they felt like they safely could since they want people to have the best results possible for an OTC product.
What you're saying is that your product is better than White Strips. Tell me... What makes it better? Is it more powerful? And if it is more powerful, then why shouldn't it be held to higher standards standards (i.e., professional oversite) as White Strips?
Kelly - There's no excuse for dental professionals being rude to you at the mall. I can't justify that. I think they just get very concerned because they see two possibilities with the kiosks: Either the service provided by them is no different than White Strips (meaning customers are being mislead and overcharged), or the services provided by them are more powerful than White Strips (meaning there ought to be some training and oversite of the kiosk operators).
James - If you think greed is the motivating factor behind the majority of people who oppose kiosks, you fail to understand your opponents. Certainly, greed will be a factor for some of them. But most of them are just genuinely concerned about patients' oral health. These people have years of professional training and experience. Instead of just dismissing their arguments as being founded in greed, you ought to instead engage them and try to at least understand their position. It's possible you know something they don't know, but it's also possible--with all of that training and experience--that it's the other way around.
You're right...we're not speaking the same language. The reason for this, in my opinion, is because you are dead set on condemning an industry in which you know little about. Why are you determined to undermine this industry?...I think it's because you are possessive of your trade. In other words, you don't like seeing other people involved in something that your profession has owned for years...your instinctive reflex is to immediately reject what you've seen in the mall without knowing the facts, just as the author of this article has done.
All this started because the author of this article passed judgment on something without having the facts. The author stated that kiosk teeth whitening booths generally use 35% H202 and is therefore unsafe. This John...is false. Once again, the only people using these "unsafe" levels are some dentists. Tell me...Am I wrong? I don't think so.
Now...to answer you other questions:
Yes it's better than White Strips...but that's not all John. It's also better than the whitening procedures performed by many dentists.
Why is it better than White Strips? First, it is more powerful. Why shouldn't it be held to higher standards (i.e., professional oversight) as White Strips? Because it is not at the dangerous levels that are used by some dentists (35%H202). In addition John, there are other factors at play that make this method the newest and best way to whiten teeth. There are other proprietary elements in these cosmetic solutions that maximize results and minimize side effects. There are other proprietary steps involved in the self application of these products that contribute to the overall goal that we consistently achieve - a happy customer.
I've seen the customers that come out of dental whitening procedures, and you and I both know John that a large portion of them are not happy either because they don't feel they got there $500 worth or because they have severe tooth sensitivity or a hole in their lip.
We're not dentists John, and we don't pretend to be. We always recommend that our customers talk their dentists first if they have any questions about teeth whitening.
In the end John, many things in this world change and improve. Technology and business have developed a new whitening product that is superior to traditional methods. The fact is John that these products work and are safer and more affordable than some traditional procedures available at the dentist. You should look at the bright side…now you can spend more time doing what you should be doing – fixing teeth rather than whitening them.
I am in Oregon and am about to open three malls here. I am personally pleased with my own results and the people I have serviced have ALL been exceptionally pleased as well.
I feel confident in this product and in our company and look forward to offering this to the people in my area.
As to rude and greedy people you can find them anywhere in any industry. I choose to not waste any time with them.
Also everyone here is blathering on about the concentration of the product used yet that grossly uninformed, unprofessional and completely idiotic article about the site in SC being closed tried to put the issue on the strength of the LED UV light we use.
???????
Let me clarify we use a Light Emitting Diode UltraViolet Light which is NOT a medical device. If you go to the parent company's site or others like mine you will see where we even list the FDA regulatory information. Hello!!!!
Our products and process have been researched and approved safe (FDA), our equipment has been researched and approved safe by the insurance underwrites industry and we all carry insurance just like any other 'professional' (when study massage I even had to have insurance). As to training well feel free to pick on me. I am in addition to being a proud part of BleachBright I am also an NHA CPT and while I am not taking blood from anyone as part of teeth whitening I have been THOROUGHLY trained in all safety procedures and regulations and know what we are doing is safe and legal. I also wouldn't work with a company that was 'shady' or not forthright. I have quit several good jobs in the past due to lack of company integrity and I have to say BleachBright is there in all ways and doesn't try to hide, embellish or mislead anyone. As a legally ordained ministed (2 and half years of seminary) I won't work with anyone who isn't coming from a place of honesty and integrity.
And on a final note chech THIS out!!! It recants some of the statements negligently made in earlier articles concerning SC and even specifically names BLEACHBRIGHT as being O.K.
Here is the article copied in - oddly enough the detrimental story is easy to access - this one is impossible and I was only able to access it as a google cache page - hmmm wonder why - but here it is for your reading pleasure. I love the way they try to justify there inappropriate and unprofessional accusations!
Posted on Tue, Mar. 18, 2008
VICKI LEE PARKER
(Raleigh) News & Observer
Smile. You can still get your teeth hitened on the cheap. The state board of dental examiners spent two days discussing whether employees at teeth-whitening kiosks in malls were practicing dentistry without a license.
Their conclusion: not always.
"Basically, we can't make a blanket policy about all of these things," said Bobby White, chief operations officer of the state board. "The way they set up their practices may vary. Some may be within the standard. We will continue to follow up on a case-by-case basis."
White said the board received a number of complaints after several such kiosks began opening at shopping centers across the state. The kiosks sell teeth-whitening products and offer customers the chance to use them on site. They have proved popular because of their convenience and price: $100 compared with the $500 to $600 that dentists charge.
Dentists have complained that the kiosks are not licensed to do such work and that customers could be hurting their teeth.
White said that the state law defines the removal of stains from human teeth as a practice of dentistry. But added that there are a number of gray areas.
"You can go to the drugstore and buy whitening stuff," he said. "If that what's going on here, there are no problems. But if someone else helps you do that or makes claims that a dentist would make, that's where we will be concerned."
He said the board has sent 10 cease-and-desist letters to whitening practices across the state that it considers in violation of the licensing law, which is a misdemeanor. Two of those cases have been referred to the courts for an injunction, White said.
The two businesses operating in Triangle malls, iBrite Express and BleachBright, were not sent letters and continue to operate. Employees at those kiosks ask customers to place the whitening products or trays in their own mouths to ensure that employees are not seen as doing dental work.
White said the board will continue to investigate complaints to see whether whitening businesses are complying with the law. Violators will receive warning letters asking them to stop any questionable practices. If they don't, the board could refer the case to the courts or a district attorney's office, he said.
M. Alec Parker, executive director of the N.C. Dental Society, said the board acted properly.
"In my view," Parker said, the board "is not being too aggressive by going in and making accusations that may not be true."
Parker said the society is concerned that people are putting strong chemicals into their mouth without being warned about possible unwanted consequences. He said some people have had allergic reactions or extreme sensitivity to whitening chemicals. In addition, Parker said that not all teeth can be whitened.
"We are concerned whether there is someone on site assessing if they are a good candidate for whitening before they spend their money," he said. "This is something we want to keep an eye on."
Again, if I want a haircut I see a barber/stylist. If I want a lobotomy I see a brain surgeon. Its basically the same comparison. Or you could liken tanning salons to dermatologists.
VICKI LEE PARKER
(Raleigh) News & Observer
Smile. You can still get your teeth whitened on the cheap. The state board of dental examiners spent two days discussing whether employees at teeth-whitening kiosks in malls were practicing dentistry without a license.
Their conclusion: not always.
"Basically, we can't make a blanket policy about all of these things," said Bobby White, chief operations officer of the state board. "The way they set up their practices may vary. Some may be within the standard. We will continue to follow up on a case-by-case basis."
White said the board received a number of complaints after several such kiosks began opening at shopping centers across the state. The kiosks sell teeth-whitening products and offer customers the chance to use them on site. They have proved popular because of their convenience and price: $100 compared with the $500 to $600 that dentists charge.
Dentists have complained that the kiosks are not licensed to do such work and that customers could be hurting their teeth.
White said that the state law defines the removal of stains from human teeth as a practice of dentistry. But added that there are a number of gray areas.
"You can go to the drugstore and buy whitening stuff," he said. "If that what's going on here, there are no problems. But if someone else helps you do that or makes claims that a dentist would make, that's where we will be concerned."
He said the board has sent 10 cease-and-desist letters to whitening practices across the state that it considers in violation of the licensing law, which is a misdemeanor. Two of those cases have been referred to the courts for an injunction, White said.
The two businesses operating in Triangle malls, iBrite Express and BleachBright, were not sent letters and continue to operate. Employees at those kiosks ask customers to place the whitening products or trays in their own mouths to ensure that employees are not seen as doing dental work.
White said the board will continue to investigate complaints to see whether whitening businesses are complying with the law. Violators will receive warning letters asking them to stop any questionable practices. If they don't, the board could refer the case to the courts or a district attorney's office, he said.
M. Alec Parker, executive director of the N.C. Dental Society, said the board acted properly.
"In my view," Parker said, the board "is not being too aggressive by going in and making accusations that may not be true."
Parker said the society is concerned that people are putting strong chemicals into their mouth without being warned about possible unwanted consequences. He said some people have had allergic reactions or extreme sensitivity to whitening chemicals. In addition, Parker said that not all teeth can be whitened.
"We are concerned whether there is someone on site assessing if they are a good candidate for whitening before they spend their money," he said. "This is something we want to keep an eye on."
Also, the dental establishment has stated that anyone touching another persons mouth is performing dentistry. And anyone guilty of touching anothers mouth can and will be issued a misdemeanor. I know nurses assistants that brush their patients teeth daily. Patients that cannot brush their own teeth. These nurse assistants are not dental professionals. By the dental board's logic, they should all be fined and probably arrested. Dentists, look in the mirror. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!
I personally work for Ismile in Northern California. I absolutely love all of the comments and feed back people have been giving over the month.
All you have to do to find out what process we use is ask us.
We take a silicone based mouthpiece, imprint the teeth top and bottom, fill with a 16% hydrogen peroxide gel developed by a dental chemist, spray with an organic proprietary blend accelarant and put a customer under the LED light for 15 minutes a session. A single session is anywhere between $99 and $149 depending upon the location and a double treatment which is done back to back from $149 to $199.
Every location eventually gets secret shopped by the Dental Board. Personally, I have given out my dental boards correspondences phone number numerous times so people can call to confirm we are safe and legal.
I am approached by dentists and RDA's on a consistent daily basis but the plain fact is that everything we use is FDA approved. We never pretent to be dentist and we never guarantee whitening.
All customers sign a waiver before the treatment stating that we cannot guarantee results, not to do it if: you have received dental surgery in the last 28 days, if you experience bleeding or soreness of the gums, if you are pregnant or breast feeding. It clearly states we want to only do the whitening on healthy teeth and gums. Plain and simple its buyer beware.
I love my job and I eventhough I wrote this I still know all of you will still be just as skeptical and pissed off but if you werent we wouldnt live in the land of the free speech!!!!! Have a great night :-)
I am a former dental assistant of 33 years and I opened my professional independant teeth whitening business about 5 years ago. I offer impressions for custom fitted trays(which I personally make) which is the identical procedure used by 90% of all dentists. I also retail all the same professional gels
I now travel the country doing about 16 cosmetic shows per year and have about 75 salons trained to offer this identical COSMETIC self applied procedure. Teeth whitening outside a dental office is here to stay! I have been challenged by many dental boards (BLAH BLAH BLAH) they all say the same thing! And yes the client does the impressions right inside my 10 x 10 booth. I work side by side by many of these light companies and I know they know exactly what they can and can't do. I personally do not use a lights as the clinical research department of the ADA has stated they have no effect on whitening. I have spent the last 5 years researching teeth whitening/laws etc. and have a bible of information. Teeth whitening outside a dental office is here to stay...I will make sure of that! I am very proud of what I offer to clients which is a safe, non-evasive, cosmetic procedure done BY THE CLIENT. Teeth Whitening is not brain surgery and I too know it's all about $$$. Well I could go on and on about my business. As you can see I have a passion for what I doing. Dentists need to get over this and go back to practicing dentistry!
bleachbright, and white science uses 9%. All my research shows nothing more. The term most often used is CARBAMIDE peroxide at 35%, which equates to a 9% hydrogen peroxide. Sadly, this writer didn't bother to explain this, and was more than likely fed this misinformation by those who most benefit from it... dentists.
The result were immediate and very noticeable.
I have a relative that is a dental hygenist and I am good friends with our personal dentist. They both agree that this method is safe in 99% of cases. They also agree the biggest complaints come from groups who represent the business interests of dentists. It cuts into their profits and they don't like it.
My dentist knew we were getting it done because I refused to pay his $500 price and I did not want to wear a mouth piece to sleep in for a week.
He cleaned our teeth first and then saw us the day after. He agreed we were whiter and everything looked fine.
He actually was thrilled because now I have to pay him to replace a crown that no longer matches my teeth!
I love it, my wife loved it, but just realize going in that YMMV.
I myself am considering to starting a teeth whitening business that will primarily conduct business in a mall setting or local salons/spas. I have red the many "back and forth" arguement listed above, I guess I feel it boils down to this:
If you can purchase this teeth whitening gel over the counter and put it in at home, what is so wrong with doing it with the added use of a high power led light which allows the chemical to have its reaction faster? You are just speeding up the process with the light, nothing more. The LED light I will be purchasing will cost $3500, most people cannot afford that just to speed up the proccess for something they are going to do maybe 2x a year.
I understand some peoples initial concern, but if these people are so concerned, why are'nt they arguing about pulling the product off the shelf entirely, not just harrasing kiosk owners?
When I first seen it done I had the same thought "Teeth whitening in the mall, that's kind of weird" after a little research my thought is now this "Wow, I can help people have whiter teeth, save them money and time, and make make money at the same time" So what is wrong with that??
Bill H.
Is teeth whitening without the supervision of a dentist LEGAL? Be it because of the percentage of the gel or because of the light source.
It is known and i think anyone can agree that, the higher the concentration of the peroxide level, the more sensitivity you are likely to feel! Now, remember, when you read the percentage of peroxide, take notice at what type of peroxide is being used: carbomide or hydrogen? And know that a higher carbomide peroxide level equals a lower percentage of hydrogen peroxide. Ultimately the difference would be that carbomide is an over the counter product that can be sold at your neighborhood pharmacy, and hydrogen peroxide is 9/10 something that only a dentist can administer or prescribe.
Also, as a person exposed to this industry, I just wanted to inform ALL CONSUMERS, that ANY teeth whitening method you CHOOSE, will give you a result. IF you go for over the counter products, I want you to know that in order to achieve the results you are lookin for, you need to be consistent with the product, and if you use whitening trays provided by your dentist, they WILL work as well, but again by being consistent with the method. The problem with these techniques are that they require time, patience, and consistency, which the majority of users give up on because of the sensitivity produced on their teeth and gums by the gel due to daily exposure, whichever one it may be (carbomide or hydrogen)!
When you choose a light activated system such as: BleachBright, LightSpa, Da Vinci Whitening System,iSmile,Laser Bright, iBriteExpress, ZOOM and BriteSmile - prices varying from $99 to $600... YOU ARE PAYING for the same TECHNIQUE and their MARKETING and their ADVERTISING. The technique is ofcourse a peroxide gel and a light. The differences are the concentration of that gel and the intensity of that light!
PLEASE KNOW that between these choices, the last two... ZOOM and BRITESMILE are in- office treatments that require a dentist because of their light source and percentage of peroxide. The need of a dentist would be legally required because improper application can cause irritation or slight burning of gums or skin.
CONSUMERS, be wise when choosing your product. Kiosks and unsupervised whitenings have their pros and cons just like everything else. The ISSUE is NOT about dentists, it is about YOU! IF at these kiosks at the mall you are paying 99 or 150 dollars for 15 minutes of YOUR own time, to whiten your own teeth, worth it to you, by all means go ahead. But COMMON sense tells you, that if its about saving some money, you can spend 40 dollars at Duane Reade for a light activated teeth whitening Crest product, to perform on yourself as well, with the benefit of being in the comfort of your own home achieving the same result is better for your pocket. DO NOT TELL ME that you are willing to pay a higher amount of money, for a system where you are performing the whitening yourself!!! If you pay for a service, than let that service be rendered to you whatever cost you are paying ($99 or $299) at these locations, if you end up doing it yourself while paying rip off prices, even 99 dollars, pretend your not satisfied and ask for a refund!!!
By the way, if you are the type to do some actuall research about terms and legalities about teeth whitening, IT IS illegal to perform whitening without the supervision of a dentist if you are using more than a certain percentage of peroxide, (go find out), but i will tell you this, if you plan on doing a whitening without their supervision, at least ask your own dentist at your routine dental visits about the following:
1) Are you a candidate for teeth whitening... (example, if you have recently placed crowns or veneers, if you are pregnant or nursing, if you have tetracycling stainings, if you take photosensitive medications, if your teeth are already light to begin with) so that you can be provided with a realistic expectation for your result or simply if you dont qualify because of any of the above mentioned reasons. I can guarantee you that even a trained technician cant answer or review your medical or dental conditions, and my dears, that is a very, very important part of your service, because it has to do with your well being.
2)What guarantees are given ( for example, they cant mention satisfaction guaranteed because that means they lose their money when most cases, you are not satisfied. They can only provide a whitening guarantee service because as long as you achieve even ONE shade lighter, that whitening was still achieved... Was it worth your money??? but ofcourse, the untrained can not answer how many shades lighter you can possibly get.
3)MOST IMPORTANTLY you MUST KNOW, that because this procedure is not supervised by a DENTIST, YOU CAN SUE the COMPANY, Franchise, whatever they are, simply because they KNOW it is illegal yet they choose to profit from you and your unawareness to teeth whitening details. Remember that the way marketing and adverising works, is partially if not entirely a gimmick to get your hard earned money!!!
Last but not least, if they are using a safe percentage like for example a 22% carbamide peroxide or 6% hydrogen peroxide as stated by the A.D.A that its a safe percentage, and a low intensity light to activate the gel, then you can use the same at home for a whole lot less. And if you go to per say BriteSmile and pay 299 as they advertise now, make sure its money worth spent, for a higher price usually means better results attached to good service and yes location. Remember the saying: NOT EVERYTHING THAT SHINES IS GOLD
The very first e-mailed I read on here was incorrect, the percentage of hydrogen peroxide is under 16%, this is higher than Crest Whitening Strips which is 4-8% depending on which package you purchase. I have done the Zoom2 and found that was 35-50%. Still Whitesmileusa is FDA approved- over the counter bleaching, anyone can buy.
All of this is also considered cosmetic so in fact they are not doing anything illegal, if anything they had found a better way to beat the system and guide users on the correct way to use the product. I've been to the kiosk myself and anyone who assist you is knowledgable and seems very helpful. When I asked several
q-s, the associate seemed honest and knew what they were talking about. In any situation they never say they were dentist or give any doubt that they are really more than what they are. They simply help guide me with my administer using a mouth piece.
They never once touched my mouth, they were very clean and I watched for cross contamination. I was please with my results, im not saying this method is for everyone but the cost was right and the 30 min process was way better than the Zoom.
They did go over a consent form which was good, I learned about diff things that I could be at risk for during and after the process.
not associated with ismile. I'm just an ordinary person who thinks whitening your teeth in the mall or Sam's Club, etc, is an EXCELLENT idea. Let me tell you about my own experience. Five years ago I had my teeth whitened with Bright Smiles (ever hear of the company)? It cost me 500 dollars. That's right, 500 dollars. It was done in a dentist office. But, the catch, the person who did my teeth whitening wasn't from that office. I think this is how it works. Bright smiles worked out a deal with the dentist, lets say, each customer that Bright Smiles does the work for, they give the dentist office a certain percentage. And in the meantime, the customer thinks they had their teeth whitened in the dentist office. Well, does that make sense to you people that object to whitening your teeth at mall locations? Listen, whitening your teeth is a cosmetic procedure, it does not need a dentist to do it. My own dentist even told me so. My son had his teeth whitened about six months ago with a so called dentist. It cost him 500 dollars. He said it was a total rip off. He didn't like the resulted and he can't get his money back. Why pay 500 dollars when you can do
it for 99.00 at the mall?
I am a single woman, and when I go out on my dates, the first thing I look at is a man's teeth. When I see yellow teeth, yuck! It is a total turn off for me. So, my suggestion to all you single guys (and girls for that matter) run to the mall that has one of the teeth whitening kiosks and get your teeth whitened. So good luck to all you single people out there. And good luck to those entrepreueurs who owns the ismiles franchise. Good job and hope you make lots of money. You are well deserved. And last but not least, to whom ever started this ismiles teeth whitening franchies, I salute you. A genius idea. I wish I had thought of it myself. I hope you sell a lot of franchises. Good luck and best wishes.
I hope the out come of this adverse wave against teeth whitening will filter the bad ones out, and improves the selection of who can administer this products. I helped over 100 people whiten their teeth, and never had a disatified customer.
So all of you bashers out there, please get better information before you start slendering honest good business. And all you dentists out there, lower your prices and compete against us.
Best regards to all...
I had a date that night and was in a rush...it was very convient and effective.
I am interesting in owning a franchise. I am going to do some reseach but, input on the best avalible opportunity would be great!
How is whitening your teeth with a BleachBright or iSmile system any different that going to WalMart and buying the bleaching trays and doing it yourself? It isn't. This way, you get your money's worth!
IMO
Here is my experience:
I went to this Fitness Center, and I literally mean a GYM!!! I thought I went to the wrong place, so I kept checking the internet on my wireless internet laptop to see if it's correct... Well anyway, I went through the whole process... The whole process took 30min total... They did a 15min, then another 5 min, then they re-gel my mouth piece and laser me for another 10 min. I dont know whether my teeth is sensitive or what, but it HURT!!! it feels like needles is poking against your gum... I noticed my gumline was white when I was out of there, and my whole mouth was hurting... Two of my lips was buffy... For a guy having FULL-LIPS, it was awkward... My gum hurting and just checked it again today, the skin on my gum peeled... So after Kevin (Post #74) said it was burned, I realized they didnt do it properly... I dont see any difference, as my teeth are already white... But the skin on the gum where the chemical touched is extremely painful... It peeled off and made into white dead skin, where you can use your nail to touch it and it would goes off your gum... But from some post above from a real dentist saying it's not permanent, which gave me some relieves...
Either way, I have to say that it is an extremely painful process for me... I didnt eat anything the first day that I had it done... The second day, the main was gone, but my gumline still hurt from the peeling of the gum skin... I'm waiting for few more days for this to be off, and I'll see how it is... Still in pain now, which is why I found this page to see what other people say...
I was unhappy my gum skin peeled and it hurt... I cant brush my teeth hard... It was so much pain, that for the last 10 min, my body was shaking... If would have been great if this method can somehow prevent the oilment chemical to touch the gum...
If anyone want to try this process, ask them to dont overfill it that touch your gum... It if touches your gum, it WILL burn the skin of your gum off...
Get over it you people out there. Get a hobby, you need one to occupy your time in a much more productive way. And as for you dental professionals, again, get over it, your little monopoly is over...
I did it and it does work.
My suggestions - don't do it!
Exactly what i was thinking!
My advice - this is probalby the best whitening option out there...I've tried them all.
Could you please prove you are "FDA certified"?
What exactly did the FDA "certify" for you?
Lights have absolutely no effect on whitening. Using lights for whitening is a farce.
I love all of these over-priced dentists and crybabies talking about how unsafe it is to have a simple procedure like teeth whitening done in a store or a mall."
You can also do your own extractions, Mark.
I don't say anywhere on the site that tanning beds are safe. Read again!
Much of what you see in a single visit whitening process is dehydration. It is easy to promise 4 shades of improvement, when one can sit in front of their mirror at home, and blow dry their teeth dry for the same effect. The problem is - those teeth will rehydrate, and the money is wasted.
Even Zoom users will send their patients home with custom trays to be used at home to continue the whitening process to the final outcome. Tray whitening is still the gold standard of whitening, and can be purchased in a dental office for $250 to $300. For that fee, you are getting a better, longer lasting result- and with the trays, you can touch up your teeth whenever you feel like it. You don't have that option with mall whitening - unless you want to pony up another $100.
So, it is not that dentists are concerned with a turf war. Tooth whitening is not much of a profit center for any dental office. Mall kiosk vs custom tray whitening is an apples and oranges comparison. We just feel that the consumer is being tricked into thinking that they are getting a comparable product. Mall kiosk vs over the counter products is a fairer comparison.
Our procedure is $99. We offer the take home tray kit for $49 and encourage it. It is the same kit as you offer in the dentist except for we do not do custom molds. People love it. So I'm not sure where the apples and apples comparison is? The consumer is still saving hundreds of dollars for basically the same product as far as I see it.
Step 2- that $49 "custom tray" is nothing like what a dental office can provide. The whitening material alone runs $30- so what kind of custom tray are you making for $19?
However, as I noted before- it all comes down to the question of efficacy. Does it really work? If you can get the same level of whitening with a BS light, weak gel and a mouthguard type retail tray for $150, that I can offer for $250, then you can pat yourself on the back. I just don't think that you can.
The real research done on lights is done by an INDEPENDANT company (Clinical Resarch Association) which has been reseaching for the ADA for years. Thier conclusions is lights/lasers has no effect on the teeth whitening procedure.
THE CUSTOM MADE TRAY IS EVERYTHING!!
The key to successful whitening and maintaining your whiten smile for a life time is impressions for custom fitted trays and professional dental gel. The trays are actually vacuumed sealed against a model of your teeth. They then are cut to fit like gloves on your teeth and your teeth only sealing or locking the gel on your teeth to whiten. WHITENING IS ALL ABOUT THE TIME THE GEL SOAKS INTO THE PORES OF YOUR ENAMEL! 20 minutes with a light and a boil and bite tray (Gel starts mixing with your saliva almost instantly because tray is not sealed/locked against your teeth)
will basically give you an illusion for a bit.
That is why most ethical dentists in the country do not use any type of light, but are still doing impressions and custom fitted trays which are proven to give great whitening results.
We had a friend who worked for Britesmile and she hooked my family up for free teeth whitenings when Britesmile opened a new location a few years ago (what a nice friend since the cost was over $600 dollars a pop). All 3 of them were pleased with the results, however, each one of them experienced TREMENDOUS sensitivity that lasted over a week for 2 of them.
The Sam's Club (actually, White Smile USA) experience was also very effective, but what a difference in sensitivity - not one of them had a single bit of sensitivity. My wife summed it up well when she said she'd much rather pay a very affordable $143 dollars and have similar results than get something for free and go through the pain she had to go through.
I went back to the White Smile rep. and told her of their experiences. She said that she here's this all the time because their procedure has been specifically designed to avoid the sensitivity issue. She was quick to add that most professional systems are safe and will work, but the real questions to ask are: 1) how long will it take to go through the process; 2) how much will it cost you; and 3) how much sensitivity will it cause...I would agree these are very important questions and we considered all of them before making our decision.
The best part about this is now my wife and brothers (and eventually myself one day) have found a system where they can affordably maintain white teeth for life. Since all whitening processes eventually fade to some degree, it's important to find something you can afford to do short and long term. It's only $45 from now on whenever they need a touch-up treatment done at Sam's.
One final thing on safety, I agree with a previous comment above that Sam's wouldn't put something in their club that is unsafe. I can't imagine the most powerful retailer in the world not checking something out thoroughly. Therefore, when this writer is saying Sam's chosen procedure is "unsafe" or "dangerous" because it is simply performed at a kiosk, and makes such a general, broad-stroke statement as to say "professional teeth whitening at a kiosk can cause irreversible damage to your teeth" without saying the same thing can happen by dentists using clearly more powerful systems, then it definite shows his clear bias and he has discredited this site completely. Nonetheless, those looking for teeth whitening advice will still find this site and the only thing good I can say about the writer (and the site) is that at least they let people like us post our experiences and point out the bias when we see it. So reader, good luck in your search and hopefully this has helped. My suggestion - go to Samsclub.com and contact them about the professional teeth whitening service they offer in their clubs called White Smile USA.
Buyer Beware.
This debate will never end, and until they pull otc products from shelves neither will kiosks.
As a nationwide company that operates inside of Sam's Club, we take your situation very seriously. Have you complained to Sam's Club? I have not seen or heard of your complaint. Please contact me and let me know the city and store where you had your issue.
Jim Valentine
WhiteSmileUSA, Inc.
jim[at]whitesmileusa.com
Unsafe, But are they Illegal? Have you read the Zoom side effects on the review section of your own site? When someone has to get Vicodin prescribed, I would call that unsafe. Why aren't you bashing them?
Dentists can hurt you but it's ok b/c they are dentists? I demand action that they be shut down for causing pain during a cosmetic procedure!
Zoom is not the #1 dental bleaching system- it is just the #1 most marketed dental bleaching system. Smart dentists know that the light used by Zoom and similar systems is not necessary. It does nothing to aid the process of whitening. What is does do is to cause UV burns on the lips if the UV protectant is not carefully used. The actual whitening in a Zoom system comes from gel contact time of the 35% hydrogen peroxide. This high peroxide percentage can also cause gum tissue burns if the tissues are not blocked out well, and it can also cause painful "zingers" in affected teeth.
Zoom usage is dropping off of the board. Smart dentists realize that better whitening with no downside comes from the gold standard of tooth whitening, which is custom made whitening mouthguards, used with 15% carbamide peroxide for 30-60 minutes per day over two weeks.
So, if trained dental personel are getting these kind of problems with Zoom, what kind of isses are you going to see when lay people use a high powered hydrogen peroxide in the mall? Tissue burns? Tooth sensitivity - esp with individuals with gum disease? Ineffective whitening? Is it really worth putting your health into the hands of mall employee?
Buyer Beware
As Dr. Schaefer points out, ZOOM is not used by dentists "in the know." Dentists are discovering that the light is merely a marketing gimmick. The horrible reviews of ZOOM on this site have not been ignored. Due to all the severe problems people have received, I believe something needs to be done. For that reason, I have started an inquiry form for a class action on Discus Dental: http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/zoom-whitening-class-action-lawsuit.php
p.s. in order to ensure the accuracy of our users, please be consistent with your username. There is no need to use other names since you are traceable through your IP address. If you fail to comply we will block the IP.
I know for sure what i am talking about
It uses a light. Don't get me started! This has been talked about a million times!
Thanks!! (by the way I am in Las Vegas)
It is certainly your choice. I believe that you will be just as safe and happy with your results going to a mall and save alot of money and not be in pain!!!! What location are you in? I will recommend a place in your area.
DONT TOUCH THE CLIENT!!!!!!! Let them do it !!! You can verbally guide your client through the entire procedure and never need to help them. Give it a try. Dont put yourself in a potentially bad perdicament.
Google: CRA and tooth whitening, for some qualified background info that will allow you to appreciate how much misinformation there is being spread by manufacturers of light systems and by kiosk owners.
I think the best idea is for dentists to simply stop fighting the trend. The days of $600 teeth whitening treatments are over. And that is not to ditract from the excellent dental people we have on the board here, they do a great job with dental procedures.
But I do think we all need to be realistic and realize that dentists are not going to have the power, legal or otherwise, to stop a simply cosmetic procedure.
Lets hope that the Dentists will continue to do what they are truely expert at and leave the teeth whitening to the true professionals. I know so much about the teeth and the effects of teeth and whitening products that I would go head to head any day with a Dentist on this topic.
I own several teeth whitening inline spaces in local malls and several people per day come in and say. "I would never do this in a mall." I also have several people come in and say. "This is great, I would never pay $350+ in a dental office for whitening."
We will never end this argument. The fact is that there are plenty of yellow teeth in this world for both dentists and mall operators to make money in this field. Some people will only consider a dentist to whiten their teeth, and others will only go to a kiosk for the $ savings.
I think what dentists fail to see is that mall kiosks are making people think about teeth whitening every time they walk in the mall. Our kiosks/stores are putting teeth whitening in the minds of people who would normally only consider whitening IF their hygienist brought it up to them during routine cleanings.
So, calm down everyone. No one is going hungry because a mall kiosk showed up in your local area.
And if dentists knew the percentages and chemicals we use, any reputable dentist would tell you that our treatments are completely safe for anyone with relatively healthy teeth.
Just wanted to say that we charge $650 for Zoom whitening at the dental office where I work. We recently went down from $700. However, I will admit my office is pricey for all services. I have also found that here in NV the offices that say free whitening are usually giving away 1 free tube of home gel and NO TRAYS!! we always laugh at this at our office. I have never heard of an office doing Zoom for free.
Yes, kinda like Frosted Flakes are 3x the cost of generic "Sweetened Corn Flakes"
Further, your lack of knowledge about hydrogen peroxide in general is rather disheartening. Over the counter strength of 6% h2o2 still benefits from light - this is why when you purchase pure H2O2 in the store, it comes in a browned out bottle - sunlight breaks it down.
So compare using Whitestrips at $40.00 a box; 30 minutes for 14 days. Versus the light activated bleachings which are broken down quicker. 14 days versus 30 minutes - do you see why the price varies now? Most professionals will tell you, correctly, that bleaching trays are in fact the best way to go - but they cannot match the convenience of light activated bleachings. Although, they do match in terms of safety. Sorry, John, you're either being willfully ignorant or highly biased. Not exactly trustworthy either way.
This study concludes that the immediate results show increased whitening, although after a period of two weeks the results become equal. This is entirely consistent with my post. The question is this - do you prefer to wait 2 weeks or 30 minutes?
As I said, either willfully ignorant or highly biased. Neither help your credibility.
"The use of light activation using the BriteSmile in-office bleaching system resulted in increased whitening at the immediate postbleaching evaluation compared with Opalescence Xtra Boost, which does not require light activation. This is believed to be the result of dehydration of the tooth caused by the generation of heat from the curing light.4 This increase was temporary, however; AFTER 2 weeks no differences were recorded between the 2 systems.
It is reasonable to conclude that with the increase in temperature, *dehydration* occured, which was subsequently followed by rehydration. Therefore, in spite of the initial perception that an increase in whitening took place, the 2-week postbleaching evaluation did not demonstrate a difference. This was confirmed by an absence of a statically significant difference between the 2 materials."
Dan: Dehydrating the tooth temporarily is not whitening. This is discussed in more depth here: http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/artman/publish/teeth-dehydration-effects-during-bleaching.php .
Did you bother reading my post? I'll repeat myself for your benefit. The results of the accelerator light show improvement after 30-60 minutes. The results without the accelerator light show improvement after 2 weeks. You then proceed to repeat what I had said. I have no problem admitting that you can bleach without the light - it is absolutely possible. It is not possible, however, to get these results after only 30-60 minutes without the light
Tooth Dehydration is not teeth whitening. If you think it is, why not sell a blow dryer and market that as a teeth whitener?
Seeing as how the better light accelerator units only raise the temperature inside the mouth by a degree and a half, you're not exactly dehydrating. Again, read the study and if you couldn't understand it, re read it.
Not sure if you are aware, but light breaks down H2O2. This is not alchemy, it is a known process. The accelerators on their own do not whiten teeth, they help (or accelerate) the breakdown of the H2O2 gel. This is a fairly well known process, not sure where the controversy lies. If you are so inclined, you can try this experiment at home. Pour some H2O2 onto a slide and see which one breaks down faster - the H2O2 left alone on the slide, or one that has the microscope illuminating it directly (as opposed to refracted light.)
To answer your facetious question regarding the hair dryer - it would raise the temperature inside the mouth well over 5 degrees, making it unsafe.
BS. Contact time and concentration of active ingredients are the critical factors.
Whiteness depends on PERMEABILITY of tooth structure to the low molecular weight bleaching ions. Variations in permeability appear to be the cause of the wide variation in bleaching results that we all see.
I don't care WHAT you put on the surface of the tooth and what light sources you use - if it can't get INTO the tooth structure, you lose.
Not quite. While some of what you say is correct, you're failing to put two and two together. The H2O2 is the prime dehydrating agent. And how do you suppose the H2O2 permeates the teeth? By dehydrating the enamel rods, allowing the hydrogen and the oxygen to bleach the dentin. Why do I suddenly feel as if I am giving you a starter course in teeth whitening?
You're missing the forest for the trees, which brings me back to my initial statement - either willfully ignorant or biased; neither help your cause.
The whole idea is to move bleach into the teeth for bleaching to occur. Using lights, the "teeth fluids" during dehydration move out of the teeth. H202 has to go against the flow of these fluids to get in through the the enamel rods. This makes for a VERY INEFFICIENT technique as it is always fighting against the current.
You are precisely right about moving against the teeth currents. This is why it is important to use 3 sessions of 20 minutes.
And I have to agree with you about the Zoom. Although, if you pay attention, the chief complaint against the Zoom has always been sensitivity, not efficacy. Other companies have corrected the issue of burning one's pink tissue, which is the #1 complaint. You will always have a degree of sensitivity due to the permeation of the H2O2.
The notion of whitening in 30-60 minutes is bogus? Then why are there millions of satisfied customers and patients? Why do millions of dentists use the treatments? Why do the studies agree that it whitens in 30-60 minutes? Why have YOU agreed with the study I provided?
Alexander, we're coming back to my main point again, aren't we? So which is it - willful ignorance or bias, sir? Because you have contradicted yourself several times, made baseless claims, have had each of your questions answered several times - really, where is the credibility in your stance anymore?
I did a great deal of research before commiting to this treatment. My local dentists ranged anywehere from $300 to $500 and I read horror stories of intense pain and sensitivity. Not to mention my mother tried Zoom and said it was extremely painful.
I read up on this company in my mall and never once did they tried to deceive me into believing they were dentists. They were friendly, professional, and knoweledgable. I was all in all very happy with my experience.
Also, as a sidenote. I did notice that the mouthpad I was given was immediately thrown away after my use, therefore it was not to be reused.
As long as you're not reaching into the client's mouth - its not considered dentistry. Just a heads up, good luck with your whitening business.
The "tooth dehydration effect" hypothesis seems false, or at any rate irrelevant when it comes to Spa White (the White Science USA treatment, because the relatively low temperature increase produced by our cool blue LED lights makes dehydration less of a factor. I have found that sitting in front of the light WITHOUT the peroxide trays produces no noticeable whitening, whereas doing it WITH the trays usually produces amazing results. The peroxide we use is clearly of a legal concentration (would Sam's Club, Westfield, etc allow it to be otherwise ?),it clearly does the job for most people in one or two 15 minute sessions when activated with the light (or it wouldn't be so popular), and it does it faster and better than other OTC products such as Crest strips. I must say, to anyone who cares respond to this: how many Spa White sessions have you actually observed with your own eyes, and are any of your supposedly "independent" studies specific to our product ? It seems unfair to lump all "light activated tooth whitening systems" together, when only some have been researched. How do you know our sytem isn't both more effective/faster acting than the cheaper OTC products, and safer than, for instance, ZOOM or the high concentration treatments perfomed by dentists? Has there ever been a side-by side comparison of all these systems by a truly independent paper such as Consumer Reports ? They could rate them both for efficacy and for safety, much like they rate cars, which by the way, are responsible for at least one or two more fatalities per year than tooth whitening kiosks - OMG maybe we should crack down on all of those unlicensed car salesmen who don't have their DDS or MD !!! Until there has been such a comprehensive study, and it has shown our product to be inferior or dangerous in any way, I would like to ask all of you critics of kiosk tooth whitening for an apology. The first one to apologize gets a free tooth whitening...
1. Carbamide Peroxide and Hydrogen Peroxide are basically the same thing. Carbamide is simply a more stable form of peroxide that makes packaging, keeping and using it much easier and practical. Carbamide is roughly 1/3 as strong as hydrogen peroxide, so when comparing peroxide whitening gels, you must make sure to compare on an even scale. A 35% carbamide peroxide gel would be closely equivelant to a 12% hydrogen peroxide gel.
2. The FDA has never regulated hydrogen peroxide as a prescription drug, although they have researched it thoroughly over many years. So technically all peroxide is "over-the-counter", because none of it requires a prescription to be sold, even high strength formulas sold in Dentist offices. Also, because the FDA decided not to regulate hydrogen peroxide, it falls into the "cosmetic" category and can legally be sold anywhere.
3. I speak with alot of Dentists about teeth whitening. Most of them are not concerned at all with Cosmetic Teeth Whitening businesses providing chairside whitening, especially after they learn most of the details and facts about it. In fact, many of them would prefer that teeth whitening be done in a cosmetic environment, because whitening distracts from the much more important medical work that is done in their offices.
4. Our system is SAFE. I cannot broadly paint every cosmetic teeth whitening business performing chairside or light-activated whitening with the same brush, but I can tell you from experience that our system is SAFE. There are side effects in a small number of cases, and although they can be uncomfortable and painful on rare occassions, they are all temporary and NOT permanent in nature. White Smile USA has less than .5%, that's less than 1/2 of one percent, reported uncomfortable side-effects.
5. In all of my research and discussion with dentists and dental boards, I have never seen one documented case of peroxide whitening agents between 10% and 15% hydrogen peroxide (which is the general range for most cosmetic products)causing any
permanent health-threatening condition of the teeth or gums. In fact, all of the severe cases of tissue damage or other serious problems (which is still rare) have involved 30-35% hydrogen peroxide used in a Dentist's office.
I hope this is helpful information and I look forward to reading some more good posts on this site.
Thanks
Can't we all just get along! Seriously!...get over yourselves and let us live our American dream...whitening one sorry set of yellow, stained teeth at a time!
While I'm reading this page, I'm reminded of the great M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) vs D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractics) debate of twenty years ago. The D.C.'s held out and today M.D.'s refer people to chiropractitioners for outpatient care... So what was all the fuss about? The same darn thing: money and power. And don't get me started on how long it took the medical profession to acknowledge acupuncture procedures as being legitimate!
So now, I can't wait to get my teeth whitened at the mall. I didn't even know about it until I found this site.
This is good stuff!
http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?id=215
Thanks.
I myself applaud anyone who sees this as a viable business opportunity but encourage you to do your homework before investing in a business without a proven track record and strong management.
ok...flamesuit on...let it rip!
"It seems everyone (and anyone) has gotten into the Teeth Whitening business lately. Teeth Whitening kiosks are popping up everywhere. The folks manning the booths are dressed in white coats, but they aren't dentists. They aren't in the dental profession at all. So, how do they get away with it?
They get away with it because they don't touch you. Their clients place the bleaching products in their own mouths. So, it's classified as a "cosmetic" rather than "dental treatment." They've taken advantage of a loophole. I've heard that some states are trying to close that loophole.
While on the surface it may seem that dentists would want to simply protect their "turf," there are serious concerns about non-dentists performing dental procedures... Yes, even though they aren't touching their "clients." Undiagnosed gum problems and cavities, for example can become very sensitive or "flare up" with bleaching gel application. Existing crowns and fillings won't change color. Teeth with thin or worn enamel won't change color, either. And, ultimately the results are quite disappointing. These untrained sales people in "white coats" couldn't possibly determine whether any of this applies to you. They have ZERO dental training.
The advertising, posters, and brochures are quite impressive at these mall kiosks. They "guarantee a 5 (or some other arbitrary number) shade improvement." And, that's just it. How much is a shade? On which scale? It means little to nothing. But, it sure sounds good. They'll also tell you that this is the same process used in dental offices. That's simply not true. (We actually touch you, for starters!) The results immediately after the procedure might impress you. But, it will fade, and it will fade very quickly. Why? The next paragraph will tell you.
First of all... bleach is bleach. The primary difference from one product to another is the concentration of the bleaching material (either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide). Each company may put in it's own version of additional "desensitizing" ingredients. The primary determinants of bleaching effectiveness are CONCENTRATION and TIME. The higher the concentration, the bigger the effect. The same thing goes for time. The longer the bleach is in contact with the teeth, the better. In my own experience, time has been the more important of the two factors. I have found that even a lower concentration of bleach with a longer application time will work more predictably than a high concentration for a short time. And, that's why home whitening with a custom tray has been the most predictable and most effective in my experience.
These kiosk operators claim all you need is 15 - 20 minutes. In my 20 years of experience as a dentist, I cannot see any bleaching treatment for such a short time being effective. The results will be very superficial and short-lived.
Now... Here's the part that will ruffle some feathers - even some dentists. It's about the "special light." You will see these operations using a "special light" that is placed close to the teeth during the bleaching process. They are usually a focused bright blue light. Here's the big secret: THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING!!! The lights are 100% HYPE!! The lights are 100% marketing hype. The truth is that the public likes bright lights and lasers. They look high-tech. But, I must repeat: The lights don't do a thing for whitening the teeth. Not one iota! And, this has been proven time and again by independent scientific studies. The only thing the light accomplishes is dehydration of the teeth that makes them LOOK whiter - temporarily. The light dries out the teeth. Clever, eh? Sure, the bleach will whiten the teeth... but only a tiny amount in the 15 minutes, or so, that you're sitting in the chair at the mall. The light just dehydrates the teeth and makes them look even whiter.... until they RE-hydrate. The whitening effect relapses rather quickly.
Unfortunately, there are dentists who use similar lights in their offices. And, I believe they have bought into the marketing of the companies who sell the lights. I believe those dentists truly believe they are helping. But, science is science. And, the scientist in this particular dentist (me) happens to have a louder voice than the marketer in this dentist. I have to call them as I see them. And, I know that some of my colleagues won't like it. And, it's why I don't have the "special light" in my practice. If it really worked, I'd surely have one in my office.
So, while I am very much in favor of a free market, I cannot endorse or acknowledge the industry of whitening provided by non-dental professionals. I believe many clients will ultimately be disappointed, be lighter in the wallet, and not have any recourse. While I believe in a free market, I also believe in the old adage, "Buyer beware."
It's worth noting that in most (if not all states) it's illegal for a dental assistant or dental hygienist to whiten a patient's teeth without the supervision of a dentist. At least those dental personel have some dental training! But, they cannot legally whiten your teeth without a dentist present. So, how is it that someone can buy a "whitening franchise" on the internet and set up shop in the mall or big-box discount store??
There is no doubt that the best and most predictable way to get your teeth whitened is at a dentist's office. A dentist can let you know if it will be effective for you. Not everyone is a candidate for whitening. Secondly, a dentist can monitor your results and make adjustments as needed. I have found the best, most effective whitening is with home bleaching with professionally made custom-fitted bleaching trays. In-office "power bleaching" helps, but it is best used IN ADDITION to home bleaching with custom trays.
I suspect the mall, county fair, and big-box discount store whitening kiosks may disappear as quickly as they appeared. Either the public will become aware of the poor long-term results, or the state dental boards will shut them down due to possible health risks.
If you're not happy with the appearance of your smile, your best bet isn't with someone who bought a "whitening franchise-in-a-box" on the internet and threw on a white coat and fake eyeglasses to make himself / herself look sophisticated. Your best bet is with a licensed dentist. You only get one set of teeth. Trust them to a professional."
Just to quickly cover this question, you ask what scale is used to measure shade. That would be the Vita BleachGuide. On average, there is a 5 shade difference after a cosmetic teeth whitening treatment.
You are absolutely right about 15 minute treatments, it is simply not long enough to offer anything other than superficial change. Reversion will occur in about 3 months. This is specifically why the better companies offer an hour long treatment. 3 treatments of 20 minutes. With such a treatment, we have seen results for as long as 2 years, an average of 1 year. Not too shabby if I say so myself.
Regarding your "scientific" knowledge of the light, you seem to have forgotten that light will accelerate the breakdown of H2O2. Am I incorrect in thinking that is common knowledge? Why do you suppose that when you go to Walgreens to purchase a bottle of H2O2, it comes in a brown bottle? Simple marketing choice? You are correct in saying that in and of itself, the light does not whiten, it doesn't. What it does is accelerate the breakdown of the bleaching agent. This is why it takes an hour as opposed to the 2 weeks necessary with the trays. Independent studies have shown that after a 2 week period, there is no difference between the trays and the light initiated treatments.
Which brings me to the trays. You are correct in saying that these are the best option for efficacy of whitening. That is, if you actually want to wait 2 weeks. Not to mention, be sure you are in accordance with the treatment, following it to the letter. I'm certain that it does not require a mathematician to figure out what is the more pleasant option - 2 weeks or an hour long treatment. Frankly, I couldn't be bothered to wait that long and the trays tend to make my gums quite sore, likely due to the prolonged contact to the H2O2 solution.
Dr. Schaefer, I understand that your mind is somewhat made up regarding cosmetic teeth whitening, however, it is made up with misinformation. Surely, when you view the facts, the decision is elementary.
I am interested in getting involved.
How much money do these mall kiosks make per day / year? Also what are their costs?
Do they make $100 * 30 people per day = $3,000 per day with minimal costs? That's a million bucks a year . . . better than many dentists.
Any ideas? Thanks. Let me know on the messageboard.
Ed
sor fo $100 and 15 minutes while my wife shops at the mall is a great deal for me.
2. Placing the Ultraviolet dental whitening light on a person is a dental procedure, with a dental procedure code of D09972 and D09975.
3. Whitening procedures like this, that are done at the mall, at whitening parties, or even at your medical doctor, are prosecutable and punishable, technically, as ASSAULT.
In Arizona, it is a Class 6 Felony.
see
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/32/01261.htm&Title=32&DocType=ARS
which states:
32-1261. Practicing without license; classification
Except as otherwise provided a person is guilty of a class 6 felony who, without a valid license as prescribed by this chapter:
1. Practices dentistry or any branch thereof.
Other states have similar laws.
For your state, just google: [state name] dental law, practicing without a license
Don't believe me? Call the Dental Board and ask them. In Arizona, the number is
Tel 602-242-1492
And their website is http://www.azdentalboard.org/
and their complaint form to report people practicing dentistry without a license can be found at:
http://www.azdentalboard.org/pdfdocuments/complaint.pdf
It is truly that simple.
Why, you may wonder? Yes, for the vast majority of people it is fine. The main reason that whitening is regulated so that only dentists can perform the procedure is to protect the public.
For instance: the vast majority of people can eat seafood. A small percentage of people have potentially life-threatening allergies to seafood.
Most people can have their teeth whitened, and can tolerate Ultraviolet light. However, certain medical conditions and certain medications have similar potentially life-threatening adverse reactions with teeth whitening procedures, like what are being offered at the mall.
Have you ever been on atibiotics that had a warning label to not go out in the sun? Does the esthetician at the mall even know what these contra-indicated medicines are, or to ask if you are taking them? Do they have a DEA license? Are they trained in advanced CPR?
Dentists are the only ones who are allowed to do this procedure-- for a reason.
I think someone is silly for spending $100 dollars on something like this but hey it's up to them as long as these shams don't seel themselves as Healthcare providers.
Its a good thing that our company does not use a UV light. Also, that it uses an over the counter strength H2O2. Thank God for small favors
Do you or other dentists offer money back if you mess up something??? Answer is NO!
I would think 10 times and ask 10 people before I choice the dentist.
But without doubt I will get my teeth whiten in the mall, if place looks ok.
Let's face it, Dentist simply don't want you dipping into their revenue stream.
Bottom line....edudcate yourself before you spend your money. You get what you pay for. If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is! After all it's your dollar and your dental health.
If you are not familiar or heard of SC rules see:http://www.wyff4.com/news/15446468/detail.html
I’ve been in dental lab business for the past 20 years, and while I was working at Univ. Of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine with elite Doctors, I’ve learn allot about teeth whitening, and many system that comes and go during years.
I do give credit to Dentist so they will be the only rightful person to administrate this systems to patients, but I also understand that the high cost of such treatment drive people to different alternatives like “at home teeth whitening” or as now we see at the mall…
Be honest with you guys I’m in the right business with my dental lab.
I fabricate complete teeth whitening kits and tongue gel and few other instruments for dentists and cosmetic dental offices for all their needs, but I also get calls from normal distributors, and beauty salons and spas that buy more than 500 kits at the time.
My business is good serving both parties. Now I expend and hope that I do not offend any of the parties here.
Respectfully Jenel Murgu
OH but if asked, she would explain she wasn't a physician or RN...Would that change your mind? I don't think so! Lastly, Mr Fuller from ismile....(this really kills me) doesn't even know that hydrogen and carbamide are NOT the same thing! That is the chemical used in his own product! Feel real safe now, don't you? WELL THIS IS THE WHOLE REASON it's completely unsafe!! Education is not something that can be replaced!!
Just to re-iterate IGnorance is bliss! If you don't agree with me or are on the fence with this product...do me a favor and seriously ask some professionals that you know will be honest to you and this way you will know the truth!
Truthfully, You get what you pay for!
Oh! and... "Go JOHN!!"
That's interesting - I was in a New Jersey mall this weekend and questioned the operator about having my teeth whitened. The guy seemed to be intoxicated. He was slurring his words so bad that I could hardly understand him. Not sure how the mall can let someone operate on someone's mouth while intoxicated. My guess is that lawsuits will abound soon.
I'm sure that not everyone re-uses mouthpieces, however, if even just one is doing it then that's too much risk for anyone to take. And, you can't get a life threatening disease by a hairdresser (who is licensed). As for lawyers, judges, policemen, etc there are boards that regulate these people. The fact of the matter is that the mall is NOT doing anything about this guy. They just don't care as long as they receive their rent every month.
1) Arguments from Dental Side a) Higher level of bleech b) no dental training or knowledge of mouth, gum and teeth. c) not safe because no training
2) Arguments from Non dental kiosk operators a) It is cosmetic b) there is no training required c) cost less and safe, use lesser chemicals then dental office.
After my personal experience This is what i feel, No time to make appointment with dentist and having my gums and teeth are in good quality (no mouth dieases or problem with teeth, i felt taste of paroxide was bad, spend two 10 min. sessions, operator explain me basic side effects if i had sensitive mouth and teeth, i think i got basic results. It cost less for me and severs the purpose. Yes I can whiten teeth at home but no time, i was in mall spend 20 min. mean while waiting for wife to finish shopping.
Risk ? Are not we eating at all the frenchises without checking what they cook, how they cook, who prepares, what factory they came from and so many other things and still we do it so there you go TAKE RISK AT YOUR OWN AS CONSUMER EITHER WITH DENTIST GOOD OR BAD OR KIOSKS
1. have the potential client fill out a pre-screen form that, if they dont meet criteria for whitening (as recommended by dentists), either qualifies or disqualifies them from proceeding, and refers disqualified candidates first to their own, or a local dentist for a check-up.
2. the mouthpieces come sealed hermetically in a package (sterile)
3. have the carbamide peroxide pre-impregnated into the mouth piece (hands off)
4. use a safe LED light that is in the blue wavelength (between something like 410 and 490 nanometers?), which is supposed to act as a catalyst in the rate of the H2O2 bleaching reaction.
With these steps in place, and having read enough on the subject, I would feel comfortable trying this procedure, especially considering the cost savings.
I would think that reputable dentists have bigger and more important things to do (fillings, root canals, extractions, composites etc.) than fill their chair time with a cosmetic procedure.
WHITEN' ON AMERICA! FOR LESS......
Yes, the mouthpieces are sealed. However, the guy that I worked for went home, washed them under the sink, and re-sealed them in a bag so that it appeared to the consumer that they were new. How many of us are really that perceptive to pick up on this. This guy admitted to his partner that he re-used them. The business was shut down and re-opened under a different name in a new location who never checked him out. Is something wrong with me or is this a huge problem? I am not a dentist. I am one of his ex-employees.
Teeth whitening is a loss leader for most dentists. This is 2008 no one is getting $400 plus for tray whitening... Zoom at almost any price is a bad dollar value.
Online sites like ultra-white.com are as great a value as any.
The key is to have well fitting tray made. That will have to be done by a dentist. Then you can get the gel from anywhere and keep the teeth white.
Whitening is going to die for now in all venues -dental office or mall. So, the point about the ethics of mall whitening is moot- those Kiosks are going belly up. For Dental offices, whitening has never been a big profit center- and the loss of that business will not matter.
1. A doctor is a TRUE SKILLED PROFESSIONAL who has commited their life to excellence in dentistry. It costs money to keep a dental practice open and you are paying for thier KNOWLEDGE!
2. So are we soppossed to thank these people who are running tooth whitening businesses for saving us money at the cost of our oral health? NO WAY! I'd rather pay the money for a professional than have some bloated nobody in a lab coat ruin my teeth!
I do not source from China and all my gels are filled from FDA, ISO certified labs in the US every other month so it is fresh. We use 12% and now 16% NOT 35%. My lab won't sell it to me for use in salons and spas.
At 12-16% HP we are seeing great results and absolutely no sensitivity. We don't promise the same results as dentists as they go to 25% HP(Zoom)and may use lasers but we get 2-8 shades for far less and it is proven great for oral hygiene! Many times the dentists are using 16% with Zoom or BriteSMile (per a local dentist)and I now have dentists asking to evaluate my system.
XpresSmile is safe, effective.
The point of the problem is that a professional should be the one telling you if bleaching is right for you.. A simple exam will let you know if your a candidate. Bleaching will not occur on crowns, non-vital teeth, white(composite fillings). Because dentists usually make crowns and white fillings a shade closely matching your tooth, you may incur uneven tooth whitening which may look worse than what you started with. Patients with periodontal disease, those with tetracycline stains, or those with cavities or sensitivity are not candidates for tooth whitening. Even if you're paying 50-150 dollars for this treatment at a booth, they do not know whether it's going to whiten you teeth in the first place whereas a dentist will turn patients away if they are not a good candidate. Which may relieve you the consumer of pain and trouble of dealing with the pain, tissue burn, or sensitivity you may incur. In case people want to know Carbamide Peroxide breaks down into Hydrogen Peroxide. It is safer than hydrogen and has less chances of tissue burn and more stable and longer shelf life. However 35%-45% CP have a greater incidence of tissue burn as it equals 12%-15% HP. Here is a chart using comparable percents.
10% CP = 3% HP
15% CP = 5%HP
20% CP= 7% HP
35% CP = 12% HP
But what's safe for you vs. someone else should be determined by a dental professional. If they deem it safe then go ahead and use a mall kiosk or at home bleaching... But you should know as a consumer the risks and benefits of a product before purchasing it.
In my own office, I personally place the whitening gel on my patients and will not delegate this sort of procedure to anyone else, no matter how well trainied. For all of you people out there that think it's about the money, you are terribly wrong. It is about protecting the public, doing what is right and doing no harm. That is a oath we take as dentists, unlike the untrained people at Sam's club. I am seriously concerned about the lack of proper monitoring during the procedure,improper infection control measures (herpes virus, AIDS, Hepatitis), damage to teeth, lips and gums, and potential overuse and abuse of whitening products due to the lack of monitoring. This is just so completely outrageous and it needs to stop, NOW! I am going to write the Board of Dentistry tonight! Please think people. It really doesn't make sense to subject yourself to this sort of thing.
ABSOLUTE TRUTH, GEORGE
As a comsmetic technician with Bleachbright, I personally, have NEVER EVER burned anyone's gums or left their teeth sensitive.
You may have the long trainning to put a whitening gel on someones teeth but the fact remains the buyer puts it on their own teeth, I don't believe it takes a rocket scientist to do that, a little child could do this since we all took coloring classes in school. and as for taking an oath SORRY but signing a piece of paper does not make you an expert after all policeman, attorneys and judges all take oaths but they commit FRAUD every single day of the week. So should we not use them when we need too. People need to understand not every person out there doing teeth whitening is the bad guy that reuses mouth trays, and sorry but I sure see an expiration date on the product I used and where it came from, I bet all of you complaining about this, all of you don't do thing in your life with all oath taking professionals either it just hit a nerve because this is the profession your in and business is being taking away from you. and what I mean by this is I bet you have at some point in your life painted someones nails, did someones hair(color,perm,brush)
you have to have a license to do all of this also but we know it's being done buy you as well and your not licensed to do this either. and if you have issues with us teeth whitening people then take it too court, But remember you would have to have standings for that and chances are the courts would not have jurisdiction on the matter anyway.
Theres no substitute for experience,for the dozens of yrs of hard work in dental school.Experience is non transferrable.Its up to the masses to make a distinct distinction.
My "clients" will get pt education and a dental screening for visible signs of gum disease and I will refer to a dentist when needed. I do reserve the right not to treat clients who have not had a check-up in the last 12 months. I do have scruples and will not treat anyone with problems. After all I am not looking for a lawsuit.
Whitening out of the dental office is the wave of the future and dentists are afraid they will loose the monopoly on this procedure. It's time that those of us who are EFDA's and RDH's work for ourselves, you can break the mold while maintaining integrity and not being the one's in the office while the dentist is out on his Tee time.
Don't be naive. People who have experiences like Nikki will begin a lawsuit eventually. The kits that were used in the kiosk that my daughter worked in didn't contain an expiration and were manufactured in third world countries. I would hope that a dentist would buy from reputable dealers who at least label and put expirations on the packaging. I know for a fact that this is not the case in mall kiosks. Just because something is FDA approved does not mean that it is 100% safe. Vioxx was FDA approved and caused heart attacks. Let's be honest here - we had a guy with a criminal record a mile long operating in a local kiosk. The malls don't care what these people are doing as long as they receive their rent every month.
There is good and bad in everything. Yes there are some corrupt people out there. Doctors, Dentists, Kiosk workers, etc. That doesn't mean that they are all bad. I agree that some sort of governing should be done. But it is also up to the consumer to ask questions. Zoom and Bright Smile who are reputable companies have had some issues because of dishonest dentists. Don't be naive, alot of what we purchase is third world and we don't know it. Most off the shelf cosmetic products have the "dirty dozen" in them. These are products known to cause cancer, yet they are all still on the shelf. Here is a bit of advice. When someone wants to get their teeth whitened in a kiosk, ask them to see the ingrediants in the product. If it is carbamide or has carbamer in it then it is probably an imported product which a lot of dentists use in the take home trays they sell. But a true food grade hydrogen peroxide gel can not be imported because it breaks down too quickly. So consumers....do your homework and ask what type of product they are using. There is only one company that I have been able to find that sells to dentists and also offers the "over the counter" (mall kiosks) whitening products that uses a true food grade hydrogen and their labs are here in the united states. They are also the only company that has the key ingrediants to help protect and remineralize your enamal. The key with everything is, we as the consumer need to do our homework before putting anything on our skin and in our bodies. Even look at the vegetables we eat, the toothpaste we use, the lotion that we put on our skin, the hamburger we eat from the fast food joints, the teeth whitening products we get from the grocery, and the medicines that we take. The commercials even worn us of the possible effects, yet we trust our doctors. Long story short....there is good and bad with everything. We could go on and on. It's sad but true.
Would you mind sharing what company did your teeth or what mall they were in? This is a company that consumers may not want to use. Honestly, though this could happen with what a dentist sells you or what you buy off the shelf at your grocery because soft tissue irritation and tooth sensitivity is a known possible side effect. If it is as bad as you are indicating the product could be expired. This is another reason why you would want to use a company that uses a pure hydrogen peroxide because when it expires it turns to water and wouldn't be usable at all.
we talked for a bit and he acknowledge the fact that this is just a money matter...
At 18% hydrogen peroxide, we cause no damages for healthy teeth or gum
Dentists are mad cuz we are getting people a better deal.
now if are going to worry about people with problems they dunno they even have, shouldnt they be analyzed everytime they eat, and kiss other people, share food, kiss their babies, by over the counter whitening stuff. Its not our responsability to let them know if they are healthy or not.
we do cosmetic teeth whitening ONLY. Its people s choice and its their responsability to know if they are good for it or not at first.
Not everyone can afford 600 bucks, lower your prices dentists or dont compete
If you owned your own kiosk and operated it properly would it be ok? As a former operator you have not said anything about the procedure itself but only went repeating 3 things - "reused mouth trays", "applied 1/3 gel", "had criminal record". Take those things out and do you think its an alternative to dental whitening or Crest strips type of whitening.
You dont need to be a dentist to do this procedure. Mall might not be a hygenic place to do this but the procedure is totally safe. When I had teeth whitening done at the dentist before it was never covered by my insurance company because it is considered a cosmetic procedure. I had to pay out of pocket and it was done by someone else (once by regular dental assistant (college student) and once by some other woman who was not a dentist).
People who started reporting problems about kiosk mall locations should actually post the names and not be shills for dentists.
I did a lot of research on this subject and I am planning to open my own teeth whitening operation. I will play everything by the book and all clients will take their trays home with them and get full dosage of gel. I am also not planning to conduct my business at the mall. I think this is what giving this industry a bad name. You got angry dentists + performing a private procedure in a public place.
I am all for Crest White Strips and over the counter products. These items can be purchased in a drugstore and you are sure of no tampering/re-use. As for the partner (stuck on one guy) - he was the one who discovered the dangers and shut the operation down. I do agree that there are probably more honest people than not; however, how do you determine this? Most con-artists have good appearances.
Many MANY products in this world that could ultimately be harmful or painful to those using them are available for general consumer purchase because they are deemed safe enough for the average person to have access to at their own discretion and CHOICE. Examples would include OTC medications, alcohol, sleeping pills, scissors, oh scissors... some of these can even KILL you if you don't use common sense before deciding how and when to use them!
If you happen to be so far below the curve that you find yourself needing a medical professional to advise your every common sense decision and supervise your potty breaks, there are institutions where you can setup camp to protect you from yourself. If however you have at least a small number of brain cells still hanging on, you can make informed decisions for your life, be aware of your own limitations and general health, and exercise your right to choose whether you want to use a procedure that has been recognized and approved for consumer use - or whether you'd rather not - the beauty is that the choice is up to you.
Oh, and on a sidenote - whether or not a service is charged at a higher fee than another is completely unrelated to how proportionally strong/effective it is - cost isn't a function of direct proportions, it's a function of marketing, consumer perception, convenience, and above all else how much consumers, as a whole, decide they're willing to pay. God bless capitalism.
Prosecute the ones who are clearly doing wrong leave the others alone. And if you were burnt it's no different then you waiving your rights when a surgery goes wrong. It happened to you it's sucks but it happens. Just because you had bad luck doesn't mean it's wrong for all people.
I've done kiosk whitenings twice, by kind, professional SALES representatives. I gained 4 shade whiter and I'm happy. Not to mention they only charged $79 bucks so I saved a bundle. And I watched them turn down 2 people because they checked yes on a question on their consent form that excluded them from the procedure, like having tooth decay and an oral surgery in the last 30 days.
Some of you get jerks some of us don't. A toss of the dice, it goes for everything from dentistry to driving down the street. It's called life, you win some you lose some, no point in being bitter about it.
And by the way they stated in their consent form and I was told how much peroxide and it was 12 percent. it's low and some people may not get the results they want but at least they give you your money back.
ONE LAST THING IF THEY ARE SO BAD BAN THEM ALL BUT I DONT WANT TO BAN WHITESTRIPS CAUSE THEY SIT IN MY MOUNTH FOR HOURS AT A TIME AND ITS TAKES MANY TREATMENTS TO DO .
THE ONLY BAD THING I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE MALL SET UPS IS MAYBE SOME SENSATIVITY FOR 24 HRS BUT NOT ANY BURNING
AND TRUST ME I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH ON THIS CAUSE I WANT TO OPEN A MALL SET UP
AND MOST OF THE CONCENTRATIONS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF WHITE STRIPS AND DENTIST USE AND THE STUFF THEY USE IS LEGAL ITS NOT DENTAL GRADE
I KNOW I AM GOING TO HEAR AN EARFUL ABOUT THIS BUT I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND EXAMINED A MALL SETUP AND MOST WHERE PLEASED BUT AGAIN WHY IS IT OK FOR A DENTIST TO DO THIS AND HURT MANY OF PEOPLE AND THEY ARE PROS BUT I KNOW ITS THE DENTAL CERTIFICATE THEY HAVE OK ONE LAST THING ITS OK FOR A DENTIST TO PUT STUFF IN YOUR MOUTH AND ITS OK FOR YOU TO PUT WHITESTRIPES IN YOUR MOUTH THEN WHY IS IT NOT OK FOR A MALL SETUP TO NOT DO IT WHEN ITS NOT MEDICAL GRADE HMMMM SOUNDS LIKE DENTIST WANT ALL THE CASH
OH WAIT THEN ALL FOODS SHOULD BE COOKED BY CHEFS DUE TO SOME PEOPLE KEEP FOOD LONGER AND GET FOOD POISION OH AND ALL CAR DRIVERS SHOULD BE DRIVEN BY A PRO WITH A CERTIFICATE
AND WHATS ELSE NEEDS TO BE REGULATED ALL OLD PEOPLE WILL BE HAVING TO USE A BUS NEXT CAUSE THEY AND TEENS CAUSE THE MOST ACCIDENTS
I AM SURE ALOT OF PEOPLE WILL GET MY POINT IN WHAT I MEAN ABOVE AND SOME WILL JUST JUMP TO CONCLUSSIONS
Be careful. We closed our mall locations because we couldn't get enough business. It is a hard market for retail right now. I would hate to see another person lose money. A lot of these locations are closing down because they can't survive the malls. Good luck
Why continue to blame others for our actions. I whiten my teeth at a local spa. I did it at my dentist office also. The results were the same. The only difference is I don't have to take home a messy tray that ends up sitting in my bathroom and the spa cost is a 1/4 of the cost through my dentist. Hmmm what would you do?
Just wanted to say I'm a Dental Tech . I'm the one who does teeth bleaching at my office. Its the same product used at the mall or at Sams. The doctor is not the one doing the bleaching but he gets the 600.00 ..The bleaching kits cost him around 30.00 each .... If your trained to do the bleaching the right way , everything will come out great . I wouldn't even pay 600.00 to get my teeth bleached .
By the way , we wear lab coats so we don't get anything on our clothes. Good luck to every one . Don't pay hundreds of dollars to get your teeth white.
One person wrote above that it "ruined their daughter's day". The people I have told about my good experience have thanked me. One girl didn't want to smile because of how their teeth were so stained, and she couldnt afford the dentist $350. She also couldnt use Crest white strips like me because our teeth hurt so bad afterward.
Imagine not wanting to smile for 10 years. One day, versus 10 years.
Let's hear it for Dentist. Did you know that dentist have higher suicide rates than any just about any other profession??? Now you think I'm bashing dentists. Dentist want to control teeth whitening and other things to stay important. Read this article: ONE excerpt from it: "Dentists' odds of suicide "are 6.64 times greater than the rest of the working age population," writes researcher Steven Stack. "Dentists suffer from relatively low status within the medical profession and have strained relationships with their clients--few people enjoy going to the dentist." One study of Oregon dentists found that they had the highest suicide rate of any group investigated. A California study found that dentists were surpassed only by chemists and pharmacists. Of 22 occupations examined in Washington state, dentists had a suicide rate second only to that of sheepherders and wool workers"
THis article can be found at: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2301/do-dentists-have-the-highest-suicide-rate
So, now we trust people that kill themselves more than anyone else in the medical profession with something as simple teeth whitening. Should a dentist brush our teeth for us because we might do it too hard and damage our gums!!?? Or should they show us the proper way and let us do it ourselves?????? All of this shut down of kiosk definitly isnt a conspiracy for dentists to make money??? Thats is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. You have to be joking.
It is not just dentists who have high suicide rates. Health care professionals in general show a higher than average suicide rate. This is especially true of those in emergency services, EMTs and paramedics who respond to crisis calls.
http://www.al-ba.com/toothwhite.pdf
How do I know...because I worked for one of these companies. I know everthing about what they're doing and about the product. The company I worked for, which is one of the largest, is run by unscrupulous business men, whose only motivation is how to make more money by taking advantage of unsusspecting customers who see the fancy looking teeth whitening light and think that this is the same whitening they can get from the dentist.
I can honestly say that there were more customers that left the application with sore, white gums than customers that left with a feeling of satisfaction for the 150 dollars that they just spent.
The people running these companies are going to get what they deserve. The bottom line is that customers who want whiter teeth should go visit their dentist rather than a company run by a bunch of money driven personalities whose only goal is to find a clever marketing scheme that will enable them to cash in on the impulse buy associated with cosmetic teeth whitening.
From which dental school did you graduate, and where do you practice? I Googled you (based on the fact that your comment above did not reflect a level of education consistent with someone of such credentials), and got not a single hit! Most practicing dentists will show up in Google, so I find it odd that not a single listing was returned for you. If you are in fact a dentist, versus someone playing charades, then you are right - you certainly DO need to work on your marketing (and your composition) skills! Otherwise, I would suggest brushing up on your impersonation and logical abilities, if not your moral fiber.
Please make your own decision about mall kiosks and talk to an employee at the kiosk. If you don't feel comfortable, then by all means, don't do the treatment, but don't shut us out just because we are in the mall.
Thank you.
On every conceivable topic from what should be simple, to the most complex issues of the day, people ADMIT readily to grey areas existing, while simultaneously defending their own particular view (whether they're truly knowledgeable or they haven't) almost to the death, as if the answers were utterly black and white.
--
On the topic at hand, while i personally don't believe everybody's looking out for #1 regardless of whom they hurt, but i probably wouldn't be comfortable having some random person in a store treating my teeth. As with everything else, so many "cosmetic" treatments these days are diverging with the proliferation of information both bogus and scientific, to a spectrum from amazing high tech to side-show nonsense.
I had a dental whitening treatment several years ago which was done with trays and gel over a couple months time. The results were pretty fair, though the procedure was pricey. Luckily it was a gift from a sibling in the dental industry.
I trust the dentist who administered the treatment and know for a fact that while his rates are likely the highest in the city and he does virtually every dental and orthodontic procedure on the planet, his high rates are partially due to his RELENTLESSNESS in keeping himself educated on ALL aspects of his profession and his commitment to doing everything in the safest, and best way possible.
My current dentist isn't too dissimilar, and i would certainly trust him to tell me what was what regarding all types of whitening treatments, not just hyping his expensive ones.
I'd feel more comfortable with a pro than non, so i'd likely stick with a dentist's treatment (except i couldn't possibly afford it) or a somewhat reliably benign treatment (OTC) unless i DID have data far more reliable than the back-and forth gobbledygook i've read here.
ALL Hydrogen Peroxide products are "Over-the-Counter" (OTC) even the ones sold at the Dentist office. OTC means that a substance does not require a prescription. Hydrogen Peroxide is so safe for people to use that the FDA decided decades ago NOT to classify it as a controlled substance and require a prescription for certain strengths.
Now, if something does not require a prescription, how can it possibly be required by any state that it only be sold in a licensed MEDICAL office. This is at its most basic level a consumer rights issue. People should have the right to choose where and how they buy products and services in this country.
A greedy man will always find himself in the shackles of humility.
Imam Ali,
But...the white went away within 5 days! Most important was that my gums got so burned I debated going to the ER. I could not eat for 3 days and my gums were completely blistered and white...extremely painful! By the time my gums healed all up my teeth looked the same as before it was done!! What a waste of money not to mention a very painful lesson...you get what you pay for!!!!! Also, just wanted to mention the Mall Kiosks where I had it done in PA has CLOSED....I know everyone is shocked!!!
Charles.
I agree there are some Mall operators that should be shut down just like there are some dentist that need to be shut down. But this industry is great and affordable teeth whitening should accessible to the average person. The author of the article should do more research She could check with CCTW with industry information.
Overall I love my business. I honestly feel like I am helping people receive a service they would never get based on the high cost from some dentist. But please people be knowledgeable about all services you are receiving.
What company did you work for and in what city?
just supple the products and let the buyer do the rest it cant be illegal because its like buying the stuff yourself and doing yourself
u go in the mall pay get the stuff use the equiptment they have
and ur outTOT
I'm amazed that three Owners of Kiosk franchises would be so worried by a little old article like this that they felt inclined to spam it to death with rhetoric.
Anyone with any real interest in these Kiosk franchises need only look at the Better Business Bureau
White Smile USA- http://www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/dental-equipment-and-supplies/white-smile-usa-in-atlanta-ga-27215628 Rated a C
Bleachbright- http://www.bbb.org/new-orleans/business-reviews/dentistry-cosmetic/bleachbright-llc-in-metairie-la-18010355/
(head office) Rated a F
iSmile- http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/I-Smile-Services-100075216 (iSmile West Coast LLC and iSmile Services) they both rated an A-, which is by far the best score, the other iSmile businesses.. not so good. If I was to try one, it would be them based on business ethics anyways.
Britesmile Inc- http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/businessreport.aspx?companyid=20000349
rated an F
I will hand it to you iSmile guy, your your company does back up with good business ethics, which means unlike at least 2 of the other companies you get mostly positive feedback.
Never try a product out until you know the quality of the company making it. I think what this article is really trying to show is that Dentists are regulated professionals and that with a kiosk you never know how qualified the person is, but if you can't afford dentists and you really want to do it.. go with ISmile West Coast or ISmile Services. You can be confident they will take care of you, their BBB.org score depends on it =)
You can go on and on about legalities, kiosks vs. dental offices, but what really matters is it doesn't work.
$120 is too much for the treatments. I think you have paid a bit more. I would do this for $100.
Any of you can say it does not work and it is a sham, but I watched it myself and saw the results. It does work, and no I am not one of the 3 people posting under another name as Ranger claims. The % is just above what she could do herself at home and was no where near the dentist's % of strength of Hydrogen Peroxide.
This is being condemned by the Dentists because it is cutting into their profitability. Why would someone pay $600.00 for the service when they can get nearly the same results for 1/6th the price. That is capitlaism at it's best. Watch the Dentists political lobby as they try to kill this in your socialist states like California, Illinios, New York etc where the politicians cater to special interests.. not the good of the people or the marketplace.
In my humble opinion
-m
I bought hydrogen peroxide gels from another company on the web and I was always sending them back. THey got runny, had tons of air bubbles, the pens leak but I have none of those problems now.
I've had great results and no problems. It is completely self-administered and the products are very safe and work great. I think we are offering a real value to the customer.
I also raised the money for the first whitening company to bring Tooth Whitening to the public. I am no longer much affilitated with them. I know thousands of dentists. One thing I can tell you whether its the dental office or the mall
Tooth Whitening doesn't work well on everybody. I have whitened thousands of people some go 8 shades in 20 min. others don't whiten at all. Some of the things some dentists are saying here are ridiculous on this site. Firstly, there is carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. No non dentist is using 35% hydrogen peroxide that would be like a blow tourch to an unprotected mouth. Yes they use 30% or 35% Carbamide peroxide equivalent to 10 to 12% Hydrogen Peroxide. Yes 1 in 500 clients are having some more substantial gum issues nothing permanent. Ask how many people have been damaged by the Zoom or Britesmile treatement in the dentist office. The dirty little dental secret- zingers and sensitivity.Even after gum protection, face protection eye protection lip protection and Tylenol. And not everyone whitens well in the dental office either. I agree with Lynn. Stop being small minded and work on your practices. Ps This is not rocket science. Medicine has been off base since the beginning. Protecting Psuedo science as fact until future generations debunk it.
ie capernicus vs the church anyone.
And lets be honest while we are at it.
The bleaching pens are probably the best approach to whitening now, Fast Cheap Safe
effective convenient. And furthermore if you really want your teeth to look great, get Veneers the only true whitening for some people. Dentists a lot of the whitening is leaving the dental office-get over it. You can thank your buddies at Crest, that lied to your faces when they told you that Crest stips would only be available to the dentists foreve.
To the operators of untrained kiosks, train your people for Gods sakes and don't exaggerate your results. They do a decent job for many people. Dentists There is a new super effective paint on whitening coming exclusively to you. So there is still hope for you.
And to the dentists that are correcting people's grammer and spelling-- grow up!
Don't have such a know it all attitude. Yes you are smart and most probably wealthy,
But I knew a lot of dentists that lacked common sense. That's my story- telling the truth as I see it.
I will do it all over again!
What is the problem? The problem is that the dentist business is very very scared to lose business and to lose the ridiculous amount of money they ask for!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Before you do any whitening just make sure you don't have any cavity, that is all! If your teeth are find just do it at the mall.
Please insult me and my profession after you've spent that amount of time training and studying and working towards a goal. We charge what we do because it costs ALOT of money to operate an office, equip and educate staff, provide coverage for insurances and everything. Its a real real slap in the face to hear people talk about its just a business.How dare you, I hope i never see you in my office.
One of the biggest problems with the american public is stupidity. Just because something is OVER THE COUNTER doesnt mean its safe. Ibuprofen can kill you if you are unaware of your own current medical state. With regards to whitening, it erodes enamel and can cause alot of sensitivity problems and further breakdown of your teeth. For many people this might not be a problem, but for those of you who it is (AND YOU WONT KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVNT BEEN SEEN AND EVALUATED BY THE DENTIST)who will treat your post operative problems? The important thing is that you need to go see your dentist and understand what is going on in your mout BEFORE whitening (professional or private included).
First, I will tell you that the woman who did the whitening at the mall used her gloves once then turned them inside out and used them again. What type of sanitation practices does this company provide to their franchises? She might as well have used her bare hands.
Second, she stated to me that she could not find some of her supplies because some of her storage carts are not locked up when she is gone. She thought that some kids at the mall might have taken her tools. So, anyone at the mall has access to contaminate her supplies.
Third, I showed her that my gums were bleeding when she finished the 20 minutes and she proceeded to ask me if I would like another 20 minutes for only 39.00! The pain increased overnight and I went to the dentist the next day. My dentist said that I had received chemical burns on my gums. It has been 4 days since the 'treatment' and I am still in pain. When I told her of this she stated that I must have gum disease, although I go to the dentist every 6 months and have never had gum disease. My dentist said that I do not have gum disease, rather that the woman overfilled the trays and caused a chemical burn.
None of this occured when I whitened at a dental office.
I am getting in touch with their HQ, AZ Board of Health, and AZ board of dentistry today. I hope that no one has to have the same experience I have had from this process.
As with any industry, there are awesome dentists who will do you right and if you're going to have to pay top dollar, you might as well find them. But believe me, there are tons of dentist who care only about their bottom line and skimp, skimp, skimp. Now that someone else is getting a piece of the pie, they're mad. Whatever happened to free enterprise?
The US justice department sees this as unconstitutional and will be overturning any ruling against the operation of these buisnesses.
First off Teeth Whitening is a COSMETIC procedure not dental work.
I can not speak for every company out there but I have used the BleachBright products. When I went to their kiosk they handed me a sheet with the warning label it said that people with sensitive gum or gums that bleed after brushing, exposed cavities, and several other problems one could have with their teeth should not use the product. The girl then explained to me that their product use carbromide peroxide not hydrogen peroxide.
I paid $99 and my teeth lightened by 5 shades.
Now about the procedure. The entire kit comes in a little box. The girl handed it to me and had me watch a video the explained what to do. Then help walk me through it. She did not touch anything in the box and the mouth piece is PREFILLED. She explained to me that this is a self administered cosmetic procedure and they were there just to help with any questions I had about using the product. The only thing the girl did was turn on the light for me. After I was finished my gums were a little dry and sensitive the girl handed me a package that had a cotton swap prefilled with vitamin E. I broke off one tip and the E went into the other end and I wiped it along my gums. The dryness and sensitive went away.
Now for those of you that are griping about the price and the light. They do have OTC products you can take home that have the same stuff in it. It just takes longer than the 15 mins that the light activation does. So if you don't want to use the light then don't just by the stuff you can take home. It works better than the crest strips (my husband has used both) and again does not contain hydrogen peroxide.
Now their pen they have to help maintain your teeth does contain hydrogen peroxide, but only 12% not 35% or more as the "article" states. I use mine twice a week and after 8 months since I used the light treatment my teeth are just now starting to darken back up. I drink tea and soda daily and did not expect the results to last as long as it has.
I have recommended Bleach Bright to all of my friends and between me and those that have used it we have tried all of the products the Bleach Bright has to offer and not a single one of us has had any problems and we have all had good results.
For those of you who are just ranting about the teeth whitening systems you should really do some research. Now I do realize that there are many other companies out there offering similar products like the Bleach Bright company and that they probably do things differently, but you can't fault every company because a similar company does something wrong.