Martinez v. Mullen

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

MICHAEL P. SHEA, District Judge.

This case, which involves the State of Connecticut’s regulation of teeth-whitening services provided by non-dentists, illustrates the great deference courts must afford governmental regulation under the doctrine known as “rational basis scrutiny.” The governmental regulation at issue here is a rule that only a licensed dentist may shine a “light emitting diode” (“LED”) lamp at the mouth of a consumer *151who seeks to whiten her teeth. Although the State has not submitted any clearly admissible evidence to support this regulation, and although…