Are Teeth Whitening Kiosks at the Mall Safe?

Whitening kiosks usually promise results of achieving “at least four shades lighter in less than an hour.” In order to achieve these promised results in a limited amount of time, a professional strength whitening agent with a high hydrogen peroxide content must be used. At that high concentration, you are at a higher risk of chemical burn of the gums, sensitivy or damage to your teeth. Whitening procedures should always be done under the supervision of a dentist. Although the people at these kiosks may be wearing white coats, they are far from dental professionals. Usually they are unsupervised technicians working without the consultation of dental professionals. The way kiosks get around the legal implications of performing this procedure unsupervised is that they instruct the “patient” how to place the bleaching agent on their own teeth, rather than place it them themselves. Since they don’t actually do the procedure themselves, they’re absolved from the legal implications of any negative side effects that may result. It is Frangella Dental’s recommendation that whitening procedures be performed under a dentist’s supervision in a sterile environment. A dentist assesses each patient on an individual basis and predicts the outcome of treatment and any possible dangers.]]>