Teeth Whitening at the Mall: It's a New Trend, But Is It Safe?

The other day I was out Christmas shopping, and there next to Santa and his elves and a pay-per-minute massage kiosk was a makeshift booth where you could pop in for a quick round of teeth whitening. Read on for my reaction and what health experts say about this unusual trend...

The business, called Bright Smiles Express, was certainly the most unusual thing I'd seen at a mall in a long time. I grabbed a flier, which promised results (up to six shades lighter in just one 15 minute procedure) without a dental office visit, and decided I'd do a little research to see whether this was really such a good idea.

At first glance, the concept does sound appealing: Fast, hassle-free, and cheap (usually $100 or less compared to the $500-$1,000 procedures you'd pay for in the dentist office), who wouldn't be tempted to give it a try?

But according to this investigation by ABC News, there are plenty of things to be concerned about. In their report, they found that employees of various mall teeth whitening businesses misrepresented their products and bleaching solutions and used tools and techniques that only dentists are trained to use, which has since prompted the American Dental Association to send up a big red flag on these types of operations. And, some states are in the process of shutting down mall teeth whitening businesses altogether.

My advice? Stick with at-home whitening treatments, like Crest Whitestrips (nope, they didn't pay me to plug them--I just think they're great), or try this unusual product courtesy of Petra over at The Girls in the Beauty Department. But the best bet (especially if you have a lot of whitening questions and concerns) would be to consult your dentist about professional whitening, such as Zoom Whitening. I'll be honest and tell you that I had a bad experience with Zoom (it burned my gums), but I've since learned that I just have sensitive gums/tissues. It's rare that you'd experience any pain with in-office whitening, such as Zoom.

What are your thoughts on teeth whitening? Are you an avid whitener? And would you give one of these mall kiosks a try or not?