Eco-Dentistry Association Announces International Launch

The Eco-Dentistry Association announced its international launch this month. So far, dentists from 20 U.S. states and Canada have joined the association that was formed to help dentists and dental professionals alike become Eco-friendly in their place of employment; the dental office.

Dr. Fred Pockrass and his wife, Ina Pockrass opened the first Eco-friendly dental office in the country, to be certified as a "green business". Going one step further, they formed the Eco-Dentists Association to encourage environmentally-sound practices in the dental industry.

When I received the press release announcing the new association, I was shocked to read the following:

• 680 million disposable chair barriers, light handle covers and patient bibs, and 1.7 billion instrument sterilization pouches from end up in landfills yearly
• If every U.S. dental office installed a device capturing mercury-containing waste, at least 7400 pounds of toxic waste would be kept out of the nation’s water supplies each year

When you consider the nature of the business, infection control procedures are taken very seriously. Disposable products are intended to reduce the chances of improper disinfection by providing a product that is simply thrown away after every patient. According to the Eco-Dentistry Association, by switching to reusable and non-toxic disinfection methods, the dental industry would considerably reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills.
We are all trying to become more Eco-friendly and green. I consciously watch my water consumption when brushing my teeth, and put my old toothbrushes to work after they become worn. It would be wonderful to see more and more dental office taking the steps to become green businesses, for the sake of our planet.