CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled North Carolina's dental board cannot ban non-dentists from offering teeth-whitening services, according to wsoctv.com.

The fight to ban teeth-whitening services provided by non-dentists has been going since 2010. In 2011, North Carolina's dental board sued the FTC for preventing it from shutting down businesses like day spas and tanning booths that offer whitening services.

The case made its way to federal court, and this past Friday a judge refused to consider it.

Another reason why the court ruled against the state's dental board is because it's made up of dentists appointed by other dentists, according to the report.

Charlotte dentist Dr. Bradford Picot said it's not as much about competition as it is about dental hygiene. He offers over-the-counter whitening products to his patients, but said when it comes seeing a non-certified person to get the job done, a dentist is better trained to get the job done.

"There's a lot of training that goes into dental school to diagnose what can be done to effectively whiten your teeth and how can we manage the complications," he said.

Picot hopes the federal court ruling will get further consideration but said it's ultimately up to the client to decide who they want doing their dental work.