Dental regulators work to shut down teeth whitening businesses

Fox News ^ | May 16, 2014 | Jonathan Serrie

[Olog-hai]

With her children grown, Trisha Eck thought it would be fun to go from being a stay-at-home mom to a small entrepreneur—so she rented a room at a medical spa, where she started her own business, Tooth Fairies Teeth Whitening.

She purchased equipment and supplies from a vendor she met at a trade show, including non-prescription strength teeth whitening gels. Customers could purchase her products as a take home kit or apply them to their own teeth while visiting the spa. Since she’s not a dentist, Eck says she never performed the treatments on customers but was there to offer instructions. […]

But state regulators weren’t smiling. This spring, Eck received a cease and desist order from the Georgia Board of Dentistry, after one of its investigators determined her business was an unlicensed dental practice.

“He comes from the dental board, and he’s telling me he can shut me down. He can fine me; I could face prison time,” Eck said. “That’s a little intimidating.” …

[sheana]

My hygienist and then periodontist gave me the best recipe ever for mouth wash. The periodontist said they sell the active ingredient rinses for about $90 a bottle. 1 teaspoon bleach in a cup of water, rinse for 60 seconds, spit, spit, spit.
It works.

[AlmaKing]

If dentists are protecting their turf using regulators, the solution is to get rid of the regulators, the same solution implied in my first post.

[Blood of Tyrants]

They are protecting their turf the way all businesses do, through lobbyists who control legislators who control the regulators.