The Alabama Supreme court upheld a state law that makes it illegal for non-dentists to whiten people's teeth, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Alabama considers you a dentist if you offer to bleach human teeth, perform the service yourself or operate a business instructing someone on how to use a bleaching product. Practicing dentistry without a license from the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners is a misdemeanor in Alabama, according to the report.
The plaintiffs filed suit against the Alabama dental board in 2013, and appealed to the Alabama State Court after losing in trial.
Justice James Allen Main wrote, "Teeth whitening is a form of dental treatment that requires the application of a chemical bleaching agent directly to the customer's teeth … There is evidence indicating that some people have suffered peroxide burns of the lips and gums as a result of exposure to bleaching compounds."
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