It's Re-think. Rethinking is the most important, and the most fun aspect of a going-green lifestyle. Re-think your way of getting to work; re-think how far your food has to travel to reach your table; re-think your beauty-care products. If you can start this simple practice in your daily life, it will spill into your work habits, making green dentistry natural.
The Eco-Dentistry Association defines green dentistry as practice that:
Reduces waste and pollution;
Saves energy, water and money;
Incorporates high-tech innovations;
Is wellness based
Green dentistry means re-thinking dental processes and procedures, office administration and marketing, and office design and construction, using the tenets of green dentistry as a guide.
Re-thinking doesn't always mean we have an answer. Gloves, for instance. Currently, there's no great solution for reducing the waste of used gloves. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth re-thinking. Perhaps you can find gloves in a recycled box. Or maybe you can order gloves in bulk to cut down on transportation pollution.
| Re-thinking also doesn't mean there's only one answer. It helps to think of going green as a continuum – light green to dark green. What's most important is to choose the green option that you'll do consistently. Impression trays are a great example of your choices on a green continuum. A plastic impression tray is made of petroleum. It uses a lot of energy to create, only to be used once. Even more energy is used to ship it to the landfill, where it piles high with other trash a problem for the next generation to solve. The light green option is a |
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compostable impression tray. These are made from corn instead of petroleum, and while still only used one time, the material is designed to decompose in landfill. Further along the continuum is the stainless steel impression tray. It can be sterilized and used many times, and ultimately recycled into a new purpose, making it the least wasteful, least polluting option.
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In future articles we'll go into detail about each aspect of the EDA's green dentistry definition. In the meantime, here are some compelling reasons and tips for re-thinking hygiene practice:
Reduce waste & pollution
Re-think infection control and sterilization practices. Notice the waste generated from a single patient! The EDA estimates 1.7 billion sterilization pouches and 680 million chair barriers, light handle covers and patient bibs end up in landfill each year from US dental offices alone. Consider these cost-saving, planet-saving options for reducing waste and pollution.
· Switch to re-usable cloth infection control and sterilization products
· Choose and eco-friendly disinfectant and line cleaner
· Use bulk-prophy paste to reduce the waste from single-serving packaging
Save energy, water and money
Re-think your daily habits. Dental offices use a lot of electricity to run compressors, drills, overhead lights, operatory lights and computers. Dental vacuum systems can use as much as 360 gallons of water per day in a typical practice. It doesn't take replacing all the equipment in the practice today to go green. Simple changes in habits can make a big difference for the planet and the practice bottom line.
· Make sure your electronic equipment is turned off every night at the power strip. This will reduce "phantom load" which is estimated to account for 10% of the typical energy bill.
· Share the "Save 90 A Day!" Campaign with your patients, encouraging them to turn off the water while they brush their teeth, saving as much as 90 glasses of water per day. Be sure to have them sign the pledge at
www.ecodentistry.org.
· Reduce the use of disposables and switch to re-usables. You'll lower your practice overhead, and attract green dentistry patients who prioritize their health. Check out the EDA's website for cost-saving green initiatives.
Incorporates high-tech
Re-think your tools. There is a 1:1 correlation between high-tech dentistry and eco-friendly dentistry.
· Learn to use diode lasers for periodontal therapy.
· Use digital imaging. If your practice hasn't made the switch, become familiar with how to operate the various digital imaging systems on the market so you're green-office ready.
Is wellness-based
Re-think your role. Your value to your patient lies in your technical skill, but also in your role as a health educator, co-therapist and coach.
· Incorporate aromatherapy. Look for hand sanitizer, lotions and soaps that incorporate essential oils that are calming for patients, helping them relax and prepare for a healing experience in your chair.
· Share research and information about the relationship of periodontal disease to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses with your patients.
· Read labels. Check out the ingredients of the dental products you're recommending, and make sure they don't include sodium lauryl sulphate, alcohol or titanium dioxide (often found in whitening toothpastes, this ingredient is also found in wall paint!)
