FTC Challenges North Carolina State Dental Board Restrictions And Investigates Alabama Dental Association: The FTC initiated an action against the North Carolina state dental board alleging that it is harming competition by blocking non-dentists from providing teeth-whitening services in the state, thereby increasing the cost to consumers for such services. The FTC contends that there is no active supervision by a disinterested state authority qualifying for state action protection and the board's members are excluding competition from the marketplace. In the Matter of The North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners, FTC Docket No. 9343, June 17, 2010. In addition, it is reported that the FTC is conducting a non-public investigation into whether the Alabama Dental Association encouraged refusals to deal with low cost, non-profit, and public oral health care providers, including, among other things, communications with the University of Alabama School of Dentistry.