The FDA recently ruled that teeth whitening is a cosmetic, not a dental, procedure. That’s good news for salon owners like Stacy Hamon of 1st Street Salon in Thornton, Colo., who recently introduced the service to enthusiastic clients. Because it’s not considered a dental procedure anyone can perform the service and no special training or license is required.
Hamon charges $99 for a 15-minute session and also offers a $249 package that includes two back-to-back sessions and a take-home whitener. Clients can have the procedure done as often as they like — every few months or as needed. “Our Spa White Nights are a big success,” she says. “We have sandwiches, wine, and veggies. Basically, we have a party while everyone sits there with a blue light in their mouth.”
The majority of salon teeth whitening systems consist of a plastic mouthpiece, a whitening ingredient (usually hydrogen or carbamide peroxide), and an LED UV light to activate the whitener. Start up costs for many of the systems are relatively low. For example, Nice N Bright charges $2,995 for the lamp, 30 kits, and other basics. The system whitens in 20-minute sessions, for which they recommend charging $129. “After your initial 30 clients, there’s the potential to make $268 per hour,” calculates Nice N Bright’s Larry Mancini. “I know of salons that are doing whitening while clients’ feet are soaking.”
Buyer’s Guide
Beaming White Teeth Whitening System www.beamingwhite.com
Beyond Teeth Whitening Systems www.beyondwhitespa.com
Bleach Bright www.bleachbright.com
BriteWhite Teeth Whitening System www.britewhitesystem.com
Diamond Smiles www.diamondsmiles.com
Evolution Spa
Grater Whiter Smiles www.graterwhitersmilesc.om
Nice N Bright Smiles www.nicenbrightsmiles.com
PearlBrite www.pearlbrite.biz
Smile Bright www.smilebrightusa.net
White Professional Tooth Whitening www.whitetoothwhitening.com
White Science www.whitescience.com
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.