Green Dentistry

INTRODUCTION

Green dentistry is also known as “eco-dentistry” or “earth-friendly dentistry”. Whatever the exact term used to describe it, it all means the one thing: delivering oral care and dental treatments using methods and materials which are environmentally-conscious.

By employing the use of high-tech innovations and waste-reducing processes, green dentistry seeks to reduce waste and pollution generated by the industry. At the same time, these same innovations and processes help to make dental treatments more efficient and effective.

 

Green Dentistry

Reduces waste and pollution. You’d be surprised how much waste and pollution is generated by a single dental practice.

Saves water, energy, and money. It’s time for every industry to conserve resources, and dentistry has an important role to play.

Is high-tech. Many innovations on the leading edge of dental technology are also better for patients and the planet.

Supports a wellness lifestyle. A growing community of consumers seeks dental professionals who share their values of personal and planetary wellness.

 

Sink Your Teeth into Sustainability - Eco-Friendly Dentistry

Why is Green Dentistry Important?

Each year, humans discharge some 20-30,000 tons of mercury into the environment. Dentistry accounts for some 6% of global mercury consumption, and up to 14% of mercury waste. Excessive mercury in waterways can lead to a variety of health complications in humans, and severely affect the local ecosystem.

Lead and silver are other heavy metals also consumed and sent to waste by the dental industry. The amounts of these elements that dentistry contributes are smaller than with mercury, but still notable.

Beyond heavy metal poisoning of the environment through waste products, dentistry also contributes much waste cotton, plastic, paper, and other “disposable” material.

The waste output of a single dental clinic isn’t terribly large. One study showed that the estimated daily waste was less than 200 grams per day for a single clinic.

However, that same study found that the overall waste generated annually in the city by private dental practices was estimated to be around 41,500kg of infectious waste, and 8,307kg of recyclable waste.

So while a single clinic may not contribute much waste, the industry as a whole is contributing many thousands of tons of waste every year. It therefore becomes every surgery’s responsibility to do their part to manage waste output.

Green Dentistry Tools and Practices

There are many ways dentists can endeavour to run “green” dental practices. From treatment to office supplies, there are an increasing number of easily accessible, affordable ways for dentists to become more environmentally conscious about how they run the practice.

High-Tech Dentistry: Digital Radiography

Digital radiography is perhaps the single best example of how green dental practices can benefit everyone; the dentist, the patient, and the environment.

Digital x-rays expose patients to approximately 90% less radiation than traditional x-rays. While the levels of radiation were generally safe for infrequent, short doses, this drastic reduction greatly reduces even the remotest risk. Patients are also given better peace of mind over the radiation they’re being subjected to during a scan.

For both the patient and the dentist, digital radiography scans are faster and have better resolution than traditional x-rays. Dentists can get their scans back almost immediately, and able to see finer detail in their images. This allows for better diagnosis of problems and increases the chance of early intervention.

In terms of green practices, digital radiography significantly reduces the amount of heavy metals involved in dentistry. Processing traditional x-rays involves lead and silver, not to mention chemicals within the photographic plates themselves. By doing away with the need to process photographic prints of x-rays, dentists reduce the amount of heavy chemicals they put out into the environment. Likewise, film is also no longer wasted, ending up in landfill.

Digital Oral Cancer Screening with VIZILITE PRO ORAL EXAMINATION LIGHT

Oral cancer is often deemed the “forgotten disease,” because it kills more people than testicular cancer, cervical cancer and cancer of the brain each year and receives little publicity in return.  Each year, over 30,000 Americans contract oral cancer, and only 57% of these people will live for more than five years without treatment.

Many people believe that if they abstain from tobacco and alcohol use, oral cancer will not affect them.  Tobacco and alcohol use does contribute to oral cancer; however, 25% of those diagnosed abstain from both substances.

The best way to stay protected from oral cancer is to get annual oral cancer screenings.  Most dentists perform an oral cancer exam during a regular dental checkup.  The Vizilite Pro Oral Light offers dentists another examination tool to help detect oral cancer in its earliest stages.  It is a blue excitation lamp, which highlights precancerous and cancerous cell changes.

How does it work?

The Vizilite uses Fluorescence Visualization (FV) in an exciting new way.  Essentially, bright blue light is shone into the mouth to expose changes and lesions that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.  One of the biggest difficulties in diagnosing oral cancer is that its symptoms look similar to symptoms of less serious problems.  The Vizilite affords the dentist important insight as to what is happening beneath the surface. The healthy soft tissue of the mouth naturally absorbs the frequency of blue light. Healthy areas beneath the surface of the soft tissue show up green, and the problem areas become much darker.

Digital Impressions

Digital impressions represent cutting-edge technology that allows dentists to create a virtual, computer-generated replica of the hard and soft tissues in the mouth using lasers and other optical scanning devices. The digital technology captures clear and highly accurate impression data in mere minutes, without the need for traditional impression materials that some patients find inconvenient and messy. Many patients find digital impressions an easier and more comfortable procedure because traditional impression materials are avoided. The impression information then is transferred to a computer and used to create restorations, often without the need for stone models.

Traditional impression-taking potentially involves multiple materials and occasionally more steps. Because this is a highly delicate and skilled process, it is easier to introduce error throughout any of the numerous steps involved, either from the human element, or material defects such as voids, air bubbles, or improper setting or distortions.

Digital impressioning devices eliminate much of the labour and guesswork associated with traditional impressions, and greatly reduce or eliminate errors. Simultaneously they increase time savings, both during the impression appointment and delivery of the restorations and also reduce consumable waste of impression trays, impression materials and associated products.

Dental Lasers

Dental lasers are a great investment reducing time and money in the dental practice. They are used for:

  • Tooth decay. Lasers are used to remove decay within a tooth and prepare the surrounding enamel for receipt of the filling.
  • Gum disease. Soft tissue lasers are used to reshape gums and remove bacteria during root canal procedures.
  • Biopsy or lesion removal. Lasers can be used to remove a small piece of tissue (called a biopsy) so that it can be examined for cancer. Lasers are also used to remove lesions in the mouth and relieve the pain of canker sores.
  • Teeth whitening. Lasers are used to speed up in-office teeth whitening procedures. A peroxide bleaching solution, applied to the tooth surface, is ''activated" by laser energy, which speeds up of the whitening process.
How Do Lasers Work in Dentistry?

All lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light. When used for surgical and dental procedures, the laser acts as a cutting instrument or a vaporizer of tissue that it comes in contact with. When used in teeth-whitening procedures, the laser acts as a heat source and enhances the effect of tooth-bleaching agents.

Improved Sterilisation Techniques

Soaps, antibacterial disinfectants, and other cleaning chemicals are major contributors to the pollution of waterways worldwide. Sterilisation and hygiene are of the utmost importance in the medical industry, so finding sterilisation techniques which reduce harmful chemicals is a top priority. Also look to reduce your sterilisation pouch use by changing to dental instrument cassettes. If these are stored as per the NZDA Infection Control protocols then they don’t require an autoclave pouch.

Green dentistry frequently employs the use of steam sterilisation and high-quality, biodegradable disinfectants. These don’t require permits for toxic waste disposal, or special ventilation for harmful vapours. Waste is reduced, and staff health is improved.

Composite and Porcelain Restorations

Dental amalgam is one of the biggest contributors to mercury and silver consumption in a dental practice. Whether it’s fillings, caps or veneers, dental amalgam has long been a standard restorative tool.

Today, dental composite resin and porcelain restorations have become increasingly popular. They do away with the heavy metals of amalgam fillings in exchange for more eco-friendly materials. Beyond the environmental benefits, these restorative materials also provide more natural-looking results, which has fast become the preference of many patients.

By replacing amalgam fillings with composite fillings, for example, patients get more aesthetically pleasing dental work while reducing the amount of heavy metal waste ending up in the environment.

Decreased Disposables

Plastics and other single-use disposable items are perhaps the biggest waste contributors in any dental practice. Most of this material might already be recycled in many practices, but even sending items to recycling plants puts a strain on global waste-management systems.  Oxy-biodegradable suction tubes are now available and also consider autoclavable plastic or stainless steel suction tubes.

Part of improved sterilisation techniques also includes the introduction of water-conserving industrial washing machines that are able to sterilise items with steam and heat. These washers have another benefit; they make reusable items much more practical for the dental office.

Single-use paper bibs without plastic backing for patients can be replaced with reusable, machine-washable bibs or recycled paper without plastic on a towel that can be used again and again. We offer a soft bamboo cloth/wipe that has multiple uses and can be used as a bit with a reusable handtowel. Gowns, head rest covers, applicators, plastic dappen dishes — many small items dental offices spend great deals of money buying in bulk, can be replaced with autoclavable / reusable alternatives significantly reducing waste. While the initial cost outlay will be higher for dental practices, over time it becomes significantly more cost-effective and so much better for the environment. Think re-use and not dispose.

Recycled and Biodegradable Options

Some disposables you can’t get rid of. For example, tissues and wipes are often best left as single-use items, but there are eco friendly options like our biodegradable Ecocloth for cleaning and disinfecting and our Earthcare range of tissues and Interfold Hand Towels. It’s still possible to be green even with wholly disposable items.

Reducing your plastic barrier sleeve usage will decrease your plastic waste and by replacing your semi-critical areas with Oxy-biodegradable barrier sleeves these will significantly reduce their impact in landfill by breaking down a lot quicker in the environment. Oxy-biodegradable options are becoming more popular – the plastic has an additive that degrades the plastic in the environment and then once broken down micro-organisms further break down the plastic into nutrients for the soil.

100% recycled tissues help to decrease overall waste through the use of recycled materials. There are a variety of biodegradable wipe options including bamboo that can safely enter the environment without long-term consequences (although proper disposal habits should always be observed.)

Dentists can also use sustainable paper biodegradable, eco-friendly saliva tips (ECOtips) which are safely compostable or recyclable after use.  Biodegradable and vegware cups are a great option for the surgery and use only for procedural appointments.  The launch of bamboo Interdental brushes from Pikster now provide an earth-friendly option for patients to maintain good oral care. Made from sustainable resources the brush is 96.3% biodegradable (not 100% due to the wire).  The packaging is made from recycled material and is also recyclable. 

Paperless Offices

While the dream of a truly paperless office is still a while away (no matter how much people predicted we’d be there by now), there are always ways dental practices can continue to reduce paper use.

The easiest and most efficient is to replace paper forms with digital forms. Providing tablets for patients to read and sign documents keeps paper and ink waste down. Digital copies can be backed up on multiple secure systems faster.

Appointment reminders, thank you messages, and special offers can also be sent out as text or email today. Paper waste is minimised, as well as pollution associated with transporting physical messages from one place to another.

Energy Sustainability

Eco-Friendly Dentistry Water and electricity are essentials for any businesses. Green practices can use water-saving devices in their surgery to minimise water usable without affecting their ability to operate. Using sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar power also contributes to an eco-friendly dental environment.

Conclusion

A single dental office outputs some 100 kilos of waste over the course of a year, give or take. In the grand scheme of things, this may not be much — but that’s just one practice. Ten practices output a ton, and a hundred practices 10 tons.
And this just speaks to waste. Water and energy usage for any medical practice can be quite large, and dentistry is no exception.

Through the use of green dentistry practices and processes, dentists and practice managers can significantly reduce their individual environmental impact. With enough dentists switching to green dentistry, the entire industry’s environmental footprint can start to shrink. This not only benefits the environment, but the practices themselves — and the patients.

 

Keep up to date at:

Eco Dentistry Association - ecodentistry.org
Facebook Closed Group - Sustainability in NZ/AU Dentistry