Does using a dentist to brush your teeth sound over the top? Yes, it is - but not by much. The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners almost goes that far when they ruled that teeth whitening could only take place in a dentist's office. If the Dental Board has its way, teeth whitening salons would not be allowed to practice this purely cosmetic procedure. Remember, this is teeth whitening, no drilling, cutting or extractions involved.
Of course, it is dentists who are members of the N.C. Dental Board, but the possibility they might be trying to lock out competition never quite made it into the Board's formal complaint. This conflict of economic interest was so flagrant that the Federal Trade Commission sued the Dental Board on the substantial grounds that the Board's action was anti-competitive and in violation of the law. (Further grinding of teeth below the squiggle)
Not content with the FTC's ruling, the N.C. Dental Board has appealed the case to the Supreme Court. What can be the reason for the dentists' stubborn pursuit to limit competition? The reason becomes apparent with the fact that salons charge $75-$125 for the procedure while dentists charge $400-$600 for teeth whitening. Moral of the story: don't get in the way of dentists protecting their wallets.