With earth day on the mind, it is a good time to make some small eco-friendly changes in your life; including your dental routine. A better environment starts little by little with eco-friendly practices. While you’re keeping your mouth healthy, why not take some steps to help keep the Earth healthy too?
Here are our top eco-friendly changes you can make every day.
Conserving Water
Even though the planet is about 70 per cent of water, only one per cent of it is clean enough to use. You can help conserve that, by being aware of how much water you use when brushing your teeth. You could save several gallons of water every day.
Turn the water off while you brush your teeth, then turn it back on to rinse.
Changing Your Toothbrush
Toothbrush disposal is another opportunity to go green. Traditional toothbrushes are typically made with hard-plastic handles and soft nylon bristles that can take hundreds of years to decompose.
With a little bit of searching, you can find eco-friendly replacements for your current toothbrush. There are a lot of options available, made of everything from bamboo to plant-based plastics.
You can also try switching to an electric toothbrush. Although you still need to change the toothbrush head, it is a smaller amount of plastic. Electric toothbrushes are also great for travel (most include a travelling case for them) which can replace purchasing disposable travel cases or toothbrushes.
Monitor Your Energy Consumption
Most people spend a lot of time in the bathroom getting ready. So, switch out old light bulbs for LED ones or if possible just use natural light.
Unplugging your electric toothbrush charger can conserve energy as well. It isn’t necessary to charge your electric toothbrush all day or to leave the charger plugged in. Even though it’s turned off, it is still very likely consuming electricity.
At Sherwood Dental we are continuously making changes to be more green. We have recently switched out our plastic water bottles, to more recyclable aluminium. We continue to be conscious of our waste and recycle as much as possible.
Making some simple changes to your every day habits can help maintain an environment that makes everyone smile.
