White Here…Are You Kidding Me?

Those in search of a whiter and brighter smile have a new option: a trip to the mall. Am I the only one who doesn’t get this? While in Texas we saw kiosks in three different malls offering whiter teeth in just 20 minutes with bleaching treatments on the spot. I only saw one person getting their teeth done. It was quite a sight as shoppers stopped to watch this spectacle. It was as if they were watching a street performer or a magician…waiting to see what the outcome would be. Not exactly for the shy. Maybe they, like me, were shocked to see someone actually paying money to have his teeth worked on in the middle of the mall.

Stores selling a whiter smile have state regulators across the country grappling with the question of what constitutes dentistry. Dentists have raised concerns, urging those longing for a gleaming grin to visit the dentist, not the mall. Unique? Yes. Good business model? Not a chance.

Looks like a white elephant to me.