Should you trust teeth whitening at the mall?

Should you trust teeth whitening at the mall?
Updated: July 25, 2008 11:50 AM
Sue Manteris reporting, KVBC-TV NBC

E-mail: smanteris@kvbc.com

You may go to the mall to buy clothes. But should you also get your teeth whitened while you're there? The Healthline 3 Team is investigating a new trend in the Valley.

Teeth whitening kiosks are popping up everywhere. They're in malls and warehouse stores. The people who operate these kiosks say they whiten teeth as well as a dentist. But is this practice a good idea?

18-year-old Leilani Olanday is getting her teeth whitened for the first time. "Cause I just want a nice, clean, white smile." Like many, Leilani drinks coffee. She's hoping her dentist, Dr. Mark Escoto, can remove the stains. "I'd rather trust my own dentist because he knows what my teeth are like and it would be a lot safer and a lot cleaner and the results would be a lot better," Leilani tells Healthline 3.

But more and more people are choosing a different location for teeth whitening: the mall. It's currently available at Fashion Show Mall. We checked out the teeth whitening kiosk there with a hidden camera. "This treatment, until eight months ago, was only available in a dentist's office," the kiosk worker touted on hidden camera.

We're told whitening will soon be available at The Boulevard Mall. Meanwhile, another kiosk at the Meadows Mall recently closed. But, most importantly, is mall teeth whitening safe?

Healthline 3 (on hidden camera): Is it dangerous?

Kiosk worker: No, we don't have the sensitivity, but you have the best results because we have the combination of the peroxide and the light together.

The Nevada Board of Dental Examiners has been investigating this new trend. "It's really important, I think, that you go to a licensed dentist because that's the person who knows the whole gamut of things to get you that perfect white smile," the board's general counsel, John Hunt, said. "We're really looking at trying to protect the public."

Today there are many different ways to get a whiter smile. From products such as Crest Whitestripes to professional whitening, as you might expect, the wait time and cost can vary greatly based on what you choose."

At Fashion Show Mall we were offered teeth whitening with a light source for $135. It can cost more than twice that in a dentist's office. But will the results be the same.

Healthline 3 (hidden camera): What's the difference between this and what I would do at my dentists' office?

Kiosk worker: No difference, exactly the same.

The Dental Board is not convinced. "I will tell you, based upon the investigations that we've done, they are not using things that are used in a dentist's office, because if they were, we would have sought injunctive relief," Hunt said.

In other words, the board would take action to shut them down. That may come as a relief to Valley dentist Mark Escoto. He doesn't think the process he offers should be done without professional supervision.

Healthline 3 (hidden camera): Is there a dentist on site?

Kiosk worker: No, just a technician.

Healthline 3: Is there a dentist who owns it?

Kiosk worker: In Atlanta, Georgia.

Healthline 3: Atlanta... that's pretty far away.

"If it's not done properly and you have someone overseeing that who's not qualified to oversee that, then you can have problems... some severe reactions," Dr. Escoto warns.

Dr. Escoto and his staff members make sure the patient's lips and gums are protected so he or she doesn't get burned. He also does a checkup first to see if the patient is a good candidate for whitening. Leilani was and the results are enough to make he smile.

"If it's done correctly and done in the right way, it's a great procedure," Dr. Escoto said. "I just don't want it to get a bad name."

Some states, including South Carolina, have attempted to fore these whitening kiosks out of business. The operators were accused of practicing dentistry without a license.

We called White Science, the company which owns the kiosk at Fashion Show. The president, George Nelson, told us his company only manufactures products that can be purchased over the counter. He went on to say the salesperson at the mall was not accurate when he told us their process is exactly the same as what you would get in a dentist's office.

The kiosks are independently owned. Nelson thanked us for alerting him to the mistake and went on to say that the process is safe and effective. The company questions whether some dentists are just concerned about competition. We're told these whitening kiosks are also available at places like Sam's Club and even spas on the Strip.

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