Earth Day Dental Care - How Much Water Do You Waste?

Did you know that if you leave the water running when brushing your teeth you are wasting approximately 5 gallons of water? Sounds small but consider this: If you are brushing twice a day as recommended by your dentist, you are wasting 10 gallons of drinking water in one day; 280 gallons over one month; 3360 gallons over one year! A family of four would use the equivalent of a 24' round above ground swimming pool: 13440 gallons of water just brushing their teeth!

This Earth Day, try to remember to recycle your plastic mouthwash bottles. When it is time to replace your worn out toothbrush or denture brush, consider putting it to work in other ways, such as when doing your household chores. The soft bristles are great for cleaning grout and hard to reach places. I save my old toothbrushes to clean my jewelery. Do you have an electric toothbrush? After the battery has fully re-charged, unplug the power source from the wall to save energy.

Conserving water, recycling, and limiting the amount of energy we use are simple ways to respect our planet and maintain a healthy smile at the same time.