What is an Eco-Friendly Dental Office?

Today, many people are becoming increasingly concerned about limiting their negative impact on the environment, and while many are recycling, planting trees, reducing waste, using alternative energy sources, and carpooling, they aren’t necessarily looking at the places they shop or receive dental care to do the same. An eco-friendly dental practice may not seem that important, but dental offices are notorious wasters of resources like paper, water, and one-use-only tools. If you are trying to limit your eco footprint, make it a point to look for a dentist who is too. If you hold yourself up to a high environmental standard, isn’t it time you expected the same from your dentist?

Tree-Friendly Paperless Practices

Paper is possibly the most wasted material in any dental or medical practice. Printing forms, insurance paperwork, post-operative care instructions, prescriptions. The list goes on. An eco-friendly dental office will invest in a digital system to ensure they are using as little paper as possible while still tracking patient care safely and securely.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Whenever possible, eco-friendly dentists will invest in quality sanitation systems and reduce the amount of disposable products. Instead, reusable tools can be thoroughly cleaned for safety and waste reduction. Water is another wasted resource in many dental offices. Ask your dentist about their systems to find out whether or not they have chosen one that reduces water waste.

Consider the Contents

Ask your dentist about the materials they used for their building, paint, and cleaning products. A truly eco-friendly dentist will have taken the time to do their research about how the building supplies, cleaning products, and other materials will affect the environment in both the short and long term. You should also consider the materials your dentist uses during treatments. Some practices are still heavily reliant upon metal restoration materials. However, the less-toxic composites and porcelain materials are often preferred to avoid unnecessary exposure to harmful chemical compounds. Additionally, the mining of some metal ores is not done with the impact on the environment at the forefront. Instead, mines for gold and other precious metals common in dental restorations can strip the landscape and leave communities destitute.

Meet the EcoDental Team

At EcoDental, we put how much we care about the environment right in our name. When we built our office, we invested in eco-friendly products and technologies to ensure we reduce our negative environmental impact – starting literally from the ground up with carpet made from recycled materials. We also offer eco-friendly goodie bags to all of our patients. We have almost completely transferred to an all digital, paperless office. If you’re looking for a Pearland dental practice that cares as much about the environment as you do, call the EcoDental team to schedule your appointment today.