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US: Supreme Court to hear dental board antitrust arguments this week

By  |  October 12, 2014

The US Supreme Court is slated to begin hearing arguments on Tuesday in the case that will examine whether state licensing boards have antitrust immunity.

In a post from SCOTUS’s official blog, the Court previewed the case North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission and offered background on the case.

The dispute began when complaints were issued to the board that non-dentists offered teeth-whitening services, resulting in the board from barring those non-dentist, often cheaper rivals from performing the procedures. The FTC investigated the matter and found that the board violated antitrust law by barring that competition.

But the Board of Dental Examiners argued that it is exempt from federal antitrust law thanks to the “state action doctrine,” which protects states’ sovereignty.

A full preview of the case and its potential implications and outcomes can be read at the link below.

Full content: SCOTUS Blog

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