Dentistry plays a vital role in keeping our smiles healthy, but it also has an environmental footprint that often goes unnoticed. From single-use plastics to high energy consumption, traditional dental practices can contribute significantly to waste and carbon emissions. That’s where our sustainability champion Lucy comes in – with an approach that prioritises both patient care and the health of the planet, through a focus on Sustainable Dentistry.
What Is Sustainable Dentistry?
Sustainable dentistry focuses on reducing the environmental impact without compromising quality treatment. This includes minimizing water and energy usage and adopting digital technologies like paperless records and 3D imaging to cut down on waste. We also have various recycling points around the practice for paper, plastics, coffee pods, batteries and printer ink to ensure that this waste does not reach landfill. By making these shifts, we have lowered our carbon footprint and set an example for patients and communities.
What Are We Doing To Encourage Sustainable Dentistry?
Since we began participating in the Green Impact toolkit in 2023, Lucy has made it her personal mission to motivate the team and strive for a reduction in the Practice’s environmental impact. She has made lots of changes to our practices such as laminating single copies of documents to avoid re-printing them daily, she is currently investigating how we can go completely paperless with our equipment logs!
During the renovations, we have now got various potted plants within the practice. Plants humidify the air and absorb bacteria, dust and mold, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide present. So not only do they look lovely they also have proven benefit on the environment!
We have also set up a food bank collection at the Practice where for one week every 3 months we will be donating and collecting food for the local food bank. This is something we feel strongly about as a practice, and we would really love to give back to those in need within our community.
Summary
Ultimately, sustainable dentistry is about more than just teeth – it’s about creating healthier futures. By protecting natural resources today, we ensure that tomorrows generations inherit a cleaner, greener and healthier world, one smile at a time.
Find Out More
To find out more about the sustainable dentistry focus at Sandygate, you can visit our web page HERE
To start exploring sustainable options for oral healthcare products, you can visit Sensodyne’s website HERE, and do your own research. There are many ways that you can support sustainable dentistry from home.