Here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio not only are we committed to giving you the very best care we are also committed to helping care for the planet. We are constantly taking steps to make our San Antonio TX dentistry office as eco-friendly as possible.
What exactly does eco-friendly or “going green” mean?
It generally means being kind to the environment by using the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle). Dental offices can be toxic with all the chemicals needed to develop x-rays, toxic sterilizing solutions, plus all the materials needed on a day to day basis that create a lot of waste. Even the office itself (carpeting, old ventilation systems and older suctioning systems to name a few) can be toxic not only to patients but the staff as well since they spend a great majority of their time there.
Some dentistry offices are already doing a few things that help make them more eco-friendly like using digital x-rays and perhaps reusing paper before throwing it out and this is good but we wanted to do more and make a concentrated effort to be kinder to the environment so we have a long term plan to continually do research and implement whatever we can to lessen our impact on the environment. We have already taken a large number of steps to make our office as eco-friendly as possible, thanks to a full staff effort, and to our state-of-the-art dentistry.
Here are some of the things that make our office more environmentally responsible:
Amalgam separator
This is a device that is built into the suction system that separates out and collects the mercury from amalgam (silver) fillings so that it can be disposed of in a more environmentally responsible way. Although we do not do any mercury (silver) fillings at our office, most of the fillings that we replace are and without an amalgam separator all of the toxic mercury goes right into the water system. Growing environmental concern over the accumulation of mercury in some fish has led some state and local environmental agencies to pursue stricter regulation of mercury in wastewater and an amalgam separator is mandatory in some states. Although Texas does not require dental offices to have an amalgam separator, here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we are committed to doing what we can to be more environmentally responsible.
Water softener/purification system
We have installed an environmentally friendly water softening and purification system that filters out chlorine and other toxic chemicals without salt or having to regenerate itself. Conventional water softeners pollute the water supply with sodium and waste a lot of water. This salt water can make water unfit to drink, unfit for agriculture, unfit for industry and it can also upset the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. Our purification system ensures the water you rinse with and that is sprayed into your mouth is purified. It also ensures that the water we use in our eco-friendly gourmet coffee bar gives you a healthier and better tasting cup of Joe!
Digital x-rays
We use digital x-rays here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio. Digital x-rays can cut your exposure to radiation by as much as 80-90%. They also do not require any toxic developing solutions. Developing solutions expose the staff, patients and the environment to toxic chemicals. Digital x-rays also do not use film with lead backing that just ends up in landfills.
It is a win-win for the patient and the environment!
Dental Supplies
At Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we are always looking to replace as many of our dental supplies as we can with more environmentally friendly options. We purchase our gloves, masks, suction tips (to name just a few) and virtually all of our paper products from companies that use environmentally friendly materials and/ or manufacture in a more environmentally friendly way. Any chemicals that we use such as cold sterile solutions, disinfectants, etc. we choose the lowest toxicity but is still effective. One particular toxic solution that most dental offices use for their cold sterile we do not use. This reduces our patient’s exposure to toxic chemicals as well as our staff. An over-abundance of toxic chemicals in a home or workplace can cause a condition known as Sick-building syndrome which can have long term health effects. Due to the enormous amount of chemicals that most businesses use (most are not aware of) the air quality in most offices and homes is poorer than the air outside. We also use special high-grade air filters that we replace often to ensure superior air quality. Even though a patient may not spend an extended time in a dental office anything that a patient can do to cut down on their exposure to toxic chemicals will make them healthier and because we have lessened our impact on the environment, everyone benefits in some way.
Pest Control
We use a green certified pest control company. They use products that are healthier for the environment and for people. Pesticides are a major problem not just in our food but in our water supplies. Most people know that pesticides are harmful but think that they do not have an alternative when it comes to keeping unwanted bugs out of the home or workplace. There are effective ways to keep the bug population down without exposing patients and staff to harmful pesticides. Many of these chemicals end up in our drinking water and are difficult to get out and therefore the EPA has had to set limits on “safe” levels of certain chemicals. Anything we can do to reduce the use of pesticides is better for everyone.
Cleaning our Office
Here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio we use a green cleaning service. They only use non-toxic cleaning solutions and a cleaning protocol that keeps not only the environment in the office as healthy as possible but also is kind to the environment. All of our hand soap in our restrooms is certified green. Commercial soaps are full of toxic chemicals and fragrances. All of the paper products in our restrooms are made from recycled material. Even things that may not impact the patient directly such as eco-friendly dishwashing soap and recycle bins in our staff area are part of our commitment. Our office also has no carpet. Carpet is full of toxic chemicals and is just plain unsanitary in a dental office.
Office Supplies
Our letterhead and envelopes are made from recycled paper. We are also virtually paperless. Eliminating paper charts is a big step in the amount of paper that is needed which significantly cuts down on waste. Even small things like our scissors and ink stamps are made from recycled and/or eco-friendly materials. Our gourmet coffee bar is stocked with cups, lids, stirring sticks and napkins that are all made from recycled materials and are eco-friendly. Our complimentary water is in plastic bottles for patient convenience but the bottles use 30% less plastic and can actually be recycled (not all plastics can be recycled). We serve only fair trade coffee. Fair trade coffee is farmed in a manner that does not strip the land and it also ensures that the farmer is not exploited and gets a fair price for his coffee thereby supporting smaller, independent farmers.
We put the same thought and care into treating our patients here at Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio as we do into making our facility kinder to the environment. We are committed to helping our patients get the smile they have always dreamed of and also to providing health and wellness information so that you can be healthier overall. We also want a healthy environment for ourselves as well as our staff. It does take more time, money and effort to go green but we feel it is the right thing to do. Look for more upcoming health and beauty posts as well as the latest on cosmetic dentistry on our website.
