You do everything you can do be healthy. You brush, floss, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and exercise. But what about the health of our planet? In addition to recycling and turning out the lights when you leave a room, there is plenty more that can be done to ensure our planet’s sustainability. Your dental routine is no different. Here are some ways you can cut down on your carbon footprint and keep your teeth healthy at the same time.
Choose Environmentally-Friendly Dental Tools
Although there are many ADA approved options for dental hygiene tools on the market, not all are created equal when it comes to sustainability. Manual toothbrushes create quite a bit of landfill. If you think about each American throwing out a toothbrush every 3-4 months, imagine how much landfill space all of those brushes take up! There are a few things you can do. See if your local recycling plant will accept used toothbrushes. If they don’t, try repurposing your brush as a household cleaning tool for small, grimy spaces like the bathroom sink. You can also switch to using an electric toothbrush. They cut down on waste and space in a landfill and don’t need to be changed as often as a manual brush.
Turn Off Water When You Brush
Water is arguably our most precious natural resource. We need it to survive and not everyone on the planet has access to clean drinking water. We shouldn’t take advantage of being so fortunate. Always make sure to turn off your faucet when you brush your teeth. This could conserve gallons of water. Only use the faucet to rinse your brush.
Visit a Conscious Dentist
At River Vista Dentistry, we do everything we can do conserve and preserve whenever possible. We use state-of-the-art technology like digital x-rays and intraoral cameras. These advancements are good for you, and the environment, cutting back on time spent in a dental chair and on printing materials. We’re passionate about the health of our planet and want to partner with you to keep our local and global space beautiful and clean.
Teach Future Generations About Preserving Our Resources
Teach the children in your life about dental health and sustainability. If you instill the value of water conservation and recycling old materials, they will remember it for life. This keeps your good habits going for years to come, and will ensure a longer life for all living things for generations.
If you have any questions about what you can do to keep our planet healthy while caring for your teeth, let us know. We want to help.