Eco-dentistry or “green dentistry” refers to the delivery of oral health care and dental treatments using technologies, procedures and materials that promote environmental and planetary health. Eco-dentistry, a term trademarked by the Eco-Dentistry Association (EDA), incorporates high-tech innovations that enhance efficiency and effectiveness while reducing the amount of waste and pollution in the environment.
Benefits of Green Dentistry
Dental practices that have gone green have incorporated technologies that improve their practices and procedures and make them more eco-friendly. Benefits include:
Tooth Implants
Your functional and esthetic solution to missing teeth.
Less Radiation. Better Diagnostic Detail.
One of the most significant innovations for green dental practices is digital radiography, which eliminates the need for traditional film X-ray systems. With digital X-rays, dental practices dramatically reduce the harmful chemicals such as lead and silver that are released into the environment. Additionally, patients are exposed to approximately 90 percent less radiation with digital imaging compared to traditional X-rays. Also, images are available to your dentist immediately, are of better quality than traditional X-rays and can be enlarged for greater diagnostic detail and accuracy.
Less Chemical Contamination.
Green dental practices also use high-quality, biodegradable disinfectants and steam sterilization methods that don’t require ventilation for chemical vapors, or a hazardous waste permit for disposal of toxic chemicals into a water supply.
More Natural-looking Restorations. Less Heavy Metal Waste.
At a time when you and others may be interested in more natural looking restorations, eco-dentistry embraces today’s adhesive, metal-free dental restoratives using direct composite bonding or porcelain veneers and crowns. These options serve two purposes:
First, they provide metal-free, esthetic smile treatments. Secondly, they help eliminate the heavy metal waste associated with silver amalgam fillings that could end up in the main water supply.
Because patients often prefer adhesion dentistry, tooth-colored restoration benefits the environment as well as the health of the patient by getting rid of the heavy metal waste from the main water supply.
Dr. Agatha Bis runs a green-inspired dental practice.
We believe that a green practice is a smart practice and continuously look for ways to combine dentistry and conserve the environment.
Ask us about our green initiatives!
- We use digital imaging (not traditional x-rays), which means 90% less radiation for our patients and we don’t have toxic x-ray development chemicals
- We use digital patient charting to reduce paper waste
- We use steam-based instrument sterilization which contains no harmful chemicals
- We use a special filtration system to allow environmentally sound disposal of old mercury fillings, to prevent pollution of our water system
- We recycle bottles, cans, paper and shipping boxes
- We offer porcelain restorations that are biocompatible, resist bacteria and do not give off any toxic gas
- We offer cosmetic dentistry including smile rejuvenation and smile creation to really bring out that beautiful bright smile
- Our philosophy is to do minimally invasive treatment in the most conservative way possible which leads to more predictable and more long-term results.
- With regards to mercury fillings – mercury vapor and dental infections can have a negative impact on overall health. Due to this concern, we focus on patient education and strive to remove mercury amalgam in a safe way. Safe removal includes use of a rubber dam, copious amounts of water with suction and, of course, restoring the tooth back to its original shape and appearance with safe biocompatible materials. The mercury that is removed is isolated from our patients and staff and disposed of responsibly. In addition, we have installed a special filter that separates the mercury so it does not go down the drain and pollute the environment.
Here at Dr. Agatha Bis’s office, we are especially concerned with your health at a deeper level, and an environmental level, and are always learning and striving to improve and educate ourselves on an ongoing basis.
