Chemical Burn from GoSmile teeth whiteneing at Lotus Spa

[junglejane]

Why on Earth would anyone let a non-professional do anything to their teeth is beyond me!

 

How is this comment helpful? I've seen the spa presentations on embarkation day and they push their services hard. They are very good at sounding like they have expertise and that your results will be fantastic. They've told me that they can lighten my crowns, something my dentist tells me is unrealistic. I've always thought it sounded too good to be true, but I can see how someone could succumb to their sales technique. The OP is doing people a service by telling their story.

[donaldsc]

I have never been able to understand why anyone would submit to any medical treatment on a cruise which is done by someone who may be licensed, may be covered by insurance, may be regulated by some sort of professional regulatory board, and may even have some idea what they are doing.

 

While it is unfortunate that you missed some of the stuff you went on the cruise to do, IMHO they owe you nothing and you were amiss for subjecting yourself to treatment by people you know nothing about.

 

What next - on cruise surgery?

 

DON

[Coral]

Husband and I went to a Detox roadshow on a cruise through the Canal last year. Paid to have the "evaluation" done, was no aware they were going to pressure us to buy product. Was told I was overwieght - I agree, 15lbs over ideal for weight - would take a year of product to lose the weight. Husband who has been fighting Valley Fever for a couple of years was told to stop all meds and go on the body cleanse and all would be perfect. So called specialist had absolutely no idea what Valley Fever is and what the consequences of stopping meds would be. Cost would be close to $500 per month to be product. Needless to say we knew enough not to pursue. Specialist become very unpleasant when we did not sign contract, told us we had waisted his time. Felt extremely uncomfortable when we used the fitness facitilities after our appt. as he was always around.

 

OMG - this is just scary!

 

IMO - Steiners should ONLY be allowed to do massages and hair appts. Some of these other items are just plain unethical and more importantly, dangerous.

[Royalty X]

I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you McSweets. :( Perhaps there was a problem with the solution they were using on your teeth?

 

My partner and I both had the GoSmile teeth whitening done on a cruise in February (with P&O Australia, not Princess...but they're both run by Carnival) and we didn't have any problems or any of the experiences you did.

 

We wouldn't have it done again though. It cost quite a lot and the results weren't as great as they claimed they would be. Everyone's different, I guess.

[travlinbug]

Hindsight is always 20/20. I can understand why a person might trust onboard "professionals". After all,how does one know "for sure" that the Captain and crew are competent? We put a certain amount of trust in the cruiseline and whoever regulates. There is a reason doctors and dentists have malpractice insurance. They are held to a higher standard and are liable for what they do. These cruiseline charlatans need to be dealt with. If the cruiseline doesn't do it,then maybe some litigation is in order. I am usually NOT in favor of lawsuits for every little thing,but these treatments and recommendations are becoming dangerous. Some of the claims are so outrageous that I am stunned. As a medical professional with knowledge of human physiology,I know so much of this is just physically IMPOSSIBLE! And even implying that this nonsense could replace medication is bordering on criminal. I'm guessing that the FDA has little control over this crap. :eek:

[Potstech]

Loonbeam, Just a curious question on your last posting. How do you only make up 3 days of a longer cruise???? I do not think Princess would allow them to take only the 3 days that where affected by this procedure. Besides that do you think the remaining parts of the cruise might have been affected but what happened on the 3 days in question??

 

Like I state mine also was just a suggestion but I think the main thing I and several other posters are suggesting is to seek legal advice before agreeing to anything the company offers. This is not to sue them but to make sure all bases are covered legally for any long term effects of this procedure.

 

Otherwise I agree with the rest of your posting.

[gooch47]

Thanks for telling us about this. My husband and I have talking about having it done, and now I won't even think about it, at least not on a cruise ship. The idea of it even possibly causing damage that keeps you from enjoying your cruise is chilling.

[Loonbeam]

I'm basing it on a doctrine of actual time lost. The OP indicated they lost one port and had 3 days where the discomfort affected the trip significantly, thus they did receive value for purchase for the remainder of the cruise, so its not reasonable/customary for the spa company to cover that.

 

The additional gift card/payment could be used to rebook a full cruise if desired for for other purposes as best chosen by the OP.

 

I was trying to find a balance between compensation amount and reasonable liability.

 

 

Loonbeam, Just a curious question on your last posting. How do you only make up 3 days of a longer cruise???? I do not think Princess would allow them to take only the 3 days that where affected by this procedure. Besides that do you think the remaining parts of the cruise might have been affected but what happened on the 3 days in question??

 

Like I state mine also was just a suggestion but I think the main thing I and several other posters are suggesting is to seek legal advice before agreeing to anything the company offers. This is not to sue them but to make sure all bases are covered legally for any long term effects of this procedure.

 

Otherwise I agree with the rest of your posting.

[luxurysailer]

People should bear in mind that anytime you have something done to your body you are running the risk of something going awry. The likelihood of something going wrong if the procedure is done by a medical professional is less, but there is no guarantee that it won't. Although most lawyers will probably disagree, a complication doesn't necessarily mean that someone is at fault.

[recyclelady]

This sounds like a horrible experience. I steer clear of the whole spa thing..just walk past them and into the gym.

 

Both my husband and I have whitened our teeth using formula and whitening trays custom-made at our dentist's office. It has worked great for me and now I just use them as a touch-up about every 4-6 months. My husband, on the other hand, has very sensitive teeth and gums. He complained about the discomfort (not to the degree of the OP, by any means) and chooses not to do it any more. It all depends on each person's oral sensitivity.

 

And with that all said, I keep my cosmetic/dental procedures at home in Illinois and not on the ship.

[pakarinen]

DW is an registered hygienist and former clinical educator and she's told me one should always have a dental check-up before any kind of whitening to rule out gum disease, etc. and that excessive bleaching can harm tooth enamel. She also said that the ADA is trying to get these "spa" treatments regulated b/c of potential problems. Of course, if you're outside US jurisdiction...

 

I'm sure some ppl will insist that the ADA is just trying to "keep the money" for themselves, but at least they are educated, licensed, and regulated professionals, and one should, in theory, have legal recourse if they mess up.

 

And for the record, I've had BriteSmile and trays.

[cruzinchris]

I have never been able to understand why anyone would submit to any medical treatment on a cruise which is done by someone who may be licensed, may be covered by insurance, may be regulated by some sort of professional regulatory board, and may even have some idea what they are doing.

 

While it is unfortunate that you missed some of the stuff you went on the cruise to do, IMHO they owe you nothing and you were amiss for subjecting yourself to treatment by people you know nothing about.

 

What next - on cruise surgery?

 

DON

 

There was a Miami-based Dermatologist/Cosmetic Surgeon on a Princess cruises a few years ago. The female doctor offered a couple of "seminars" during which she showed before/after photos of some of her clients along with testimonials. The doctor explained the types of procedures that she could perform onboard and encouraged anyone who was interested to make an appointment with her to discuss the cost of recommended procedures. I had no intention of availing myself of these services but went to listen to the lecture for "something to do". The seminars were well attended, so there were obviously passengers who might have considered these cosmetic procedures that were performed by a certified M.D. Whatever floats your boat ;)

[McSweets]

I'm basing it on a doctrine of actual time lost. The OP indicated they lost one port and had 3 days where the discomfort affected the trip significantly, thus they did receive value for purchase for the remainder of the cruise, so its not reasonable/customary for the spa company to cover that.

 

The additional gift card/payment could be used to rebook a full cruise if desired for for other purposes as best chosen by the OP.

 

I was trying to find a balance between compensation amount and reasonable liability.

 

Absolutely. I don't think Princess is responsible at all because they weren't negligent in any way. There's nothing they could have done to prevent this from happening

 

I do, however, believe that the spa was merely because it happened with both of us. We got our teeth whitened at the same time, by the same spa employee, and both ended up burnt with blisters and bleeding. We even asked her during the procedure if it was supposed to hurt.

[2little time]

I'm basing it on a doctrine of actual time lost. The OP indicated they lost one port and had 3 days where the discomfort affected the trip significantly, thus they did receive value for purchase for the remainder of the cruise, so its not reasonable/customary for the spa company to cover that.

 

The additional gift card/payment could be used to rebook a full cruise if desired for for other purposes as best chosen by the OP.

 

I was trying to find a balance between compensation amount and reasonable liability.

If it did that to their gums I wonder what it did to their tooth enamel!

[Iamcruzin]

Why on Earth would anyone let a non-professional do anything to their teeth is beyond me!

 

I have to agree 100%. I laugh when I'm walking through the mall and I see women having their eyebrows waxed and their teeth whitened at a kiosk smack in the middle of the mall.

 

My wife worked in the dental field for years and I was lucky to be able to have my teeth whitened by a dentist for free. Even with this you can experience tooth sensitivity. I did it about 15 years ago and my teeth still look good. Now the same dentist just recommends the over the counter products like Crest white strips. F.Y.I. if you have crown work I wouldn’t recommend doing this procedure unless you plan on having the crowns replaced to match the color of your natural teeth that are being bleached. Do they warn you about this on Princess?

[Loonbeam]

To clarify, I was suggesting all compensation to be provided by the spa operator, not Princess.

 

Absolutely. I don't think Princess is responsible at all because they weren't negligent in any way. There's nothing they could have done to prevent this from happening

 

I do, however, believe that the spa was merely because it happened with both of us. We got our teeth whitened at the same time, by the same spa employee, and both ended up burnt with blisters and bleeding. We even asked her during the procedure if it was supposed to hurt.

[knittinggirl]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I haven't been remotely interested in the teeth whitening, but I have crowns, so it wouldn't do much good anyway. We went to one of the eat more to lose weight on Voyager of the Seas a few years back, and while it had good information, it was a lead in to purchasing their $40 evaluation tell us what products to purchase from them. On Sapphire Princess earlier this month, they were offering a similar seminar. We go to the spa for the bikes! I felt a little sorry for the spa representative with a small table that had to stand all day on deck 7, and was happy she left me alone.

[beauty1492]

What a horrible thing to happen! If I were you I would goggle lawyers- cruise injury and see just how many specialized in just this kind of claim. I would definitely look into what compensation they would offer. and don't sign anything. Myself I think the least they could do is offer a great deal on another cruise. good luck let us know how it goes for you.

[JEH]

Lawyer Up and settle for a Couples Massage.