Have you instituted green policies at your place of business? If you haven’t already, getting started is simple. Numerous suggestions are either accessible or affordable.
How to make your dental practice eco-friendly? There is the chance of purchasing “green” dental equipment. Numerous items, including dental chairs, and even x-ray machines, may be bought reconditioned.
Deciding to “go green” as a dentist may be a tremendous move. Whether you are an experienced dentist with a thriving practice or a physician just starting, several mechanisms and resources can help you in your endeavor.
What can Dentists Do to Help?
The four Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle, and rethink—are critical foundations for dental office environmental stewardship.
Reduce:
Switch to digital patient information and radiography to go paperless.
Also, make electricity and water management changes – for example, buy green energy or create your power.
Reuse:
Invest in things that can be reused, such as stainless-steel trays.
Recycle:
Paper and aluminum may both be recycled. So, invest in products that can be autoclaved, such as metal-air or water suction ends. Most importantly, take charge of your garbage disposal.
Rethink:
Rethinking is through using biodegradable single-use items like trash bags and washable bibs instead. Or you may inform your patients about alternate products like bamboo toothbrushes, biodegradable floss, and picks. Encourage patients and employees to take public transit or join a bike-to-work program.
Furthermore, the ADA has prepared green recommendations below to assist you. The majority of these are unique to your dental office, but there are a few generic green suggestions. They’ve been organized into sections like “Choose Green Products” and “Educate Your Staff and Patients” to make them simpler to read.
Choose Green Products
Choosing green products is choosing to use organic or products that are recycled. One of these is purchasing reused or repurposed wood office furniture. Consider reusable stainless steel low – and high surgical/endodontic suction tips as an alternative to disposable plastic suction tips.
You can throw away plastic irrigation syringes and have recyclable irrigation syringes on hand. Instead of using conventional paper cups, order biodegradable disposable cups. Instead of standard paper goods, always use chlorine-free, high post-consumer recycled paper products. Make it mandatory only to utilize disposable, plastic, or paper barriers when necessary.
You can replace your prophy heads with stainless steel prophy heads and disposable prophy-containing cups. Instead of CRT monitors, choose LCD monitors.
Utilize hand disinfectant that doesn’t require water in your office, and instead of bottled water, drink tap water to minimize using plastic bottles.
When it comes to packing, you can use shredded paper as a packing material. Purchase envelopes, fax paper, and promotional items that are recyclable.
Lastly, post LED or electroluminescent (LEC) entrance signs to enhance energy efficiency.
Proactiveness
Implement a sterilizing program that is beneficial to the environment. Like stocking all-natural dental care solutions, from toothpaste to mouthwash, is a good idea. To assist with workplace design, choose to partner with sustainable principles organizations, such as green banking, a recycling service, or a green architect or engineer. Scrubs that are organic or environmentally friendly should be purchased.
Demand that your name is withdrawn from the list of those who get junk mail from the office. Placing plants inside your office is another sign of proactiveness and distributing patient gifts in biodegradable plastic bags is a great idea. Bring reusable containers and change heating and cooling return-air valves from ceiling to floor. You can return air vents during the summer and winter too.
Install Energy-Efficient Products
Going green is installing dimmer lighting, which saves energy. Only utilizes as much light as is required based on the amount of natural light in the office. A programmable thermostat might help you save money on your heating cost.
Purchase low-E (reflective glass) windows and install mini-fluorescent lighting. You can plug electronics into smart power strips. Or you can invest in solar panels and solar water heaters and connect lights to motion detectors and timers.
Put a central vacuum with an amalgam trap that does not consume water. You can replace your toilets with water-saving models. Use faucets with sensors and fittings or install energy-saving devices like washers.
Instead of paper towels, use hot air dryers in restrooms. Utilize natural bamboo and organic cotton to cover the seats. Make sure you’re utilizing eco-friendly cabinets (no added urea-formaldehyde). Using bio-based ceiling or wall panels is a good idea.
Caulk, weatherstrip, or replace your office windows with energy-efficient versions. Also, add a garbage compactor to the mix.
Educate Your Employees And Clients
As a trusted dental physician, influence your patients to become eco-friendly responsible humans. In the waiting room, you can distribute green tip brochures to patients. Instruct your patients to switch off the water while brushing their teeth and encourage water conservation by posting notices in the practice bathrooms and break areas.
We’ve launched a variety of eco-friendly items at Kent Express that can assist your office and patients be more environmentally conscious while also providing outstanding value. For eco-friendly dentistry products, give us a call or go to our website!