Looking after your teeth and gums is something you practise every day… so why not do it with the environment in mind too?
Oral health care for the environment is a growing movement that aims to promote responsible choices when it comes to choosing your toothbrush and making other decisions related to oral care.
Let’s take a look at how you can reduce your impact on the environment while caring for your mouth, teeth and gums.
Choose your toothbrush wisely
If you use a disposable toothbrush, the advice is to discard it after three months of use. So if you use a plastic toothbrush, that’s a heavy burden on the environment.
It makes sense to switch to a greener and more sustainable version. A bamboo toothbrush is ideal for keeping your teeth clean while caring for the environment too.
Bamboo toothbrush advantages include being biodegradable (but take care to remove the bristles if they’re nylon before disposing of it in your garden or compost bin) and sustainable too. This is because bamboo is a fast-growing plant that doesn’t need pesticides or fertilisers to aid its growth.
You could also opt for a bioplastic toothbrush. Bioplastic is a biodegradable material from a renewable source such as plants or wood and is ideal for oral care as it’s non-toxic.
Reuse your toothbrush
Whichever type of toothbrush you have, know that it has many uses once it’s passed the three-month mark.
Here are just a few ideas of how you can repurpose your old toothbrush — use it for:
- Scrubbing your kitchen or bathroom tiles
- Cleaning jewellery
- Getting in the nooks and crannies of kitchen appliances
- Shining your shoes
- Cleaning your computer keyboard
- Applying hair dye to your roots
- Painting as part of your art and craft projects
Save water
If you’re in the habit of leaving the tap running while you’re brushing your teeth, think again.
If everyone in the family turns off the tap while they’re brushing, then your household could potentially save gallons of water every day.
Do you fill a glass with water to rinse your mouth after brushing? If so, be mindful of whether you’re filling it with more water than necessary to do the job. Cutting down to just the right amount of water will help you save this precious resource.
Get your kids into good habits
It makes sense that the earlier you start good habits, the more likely they are to stick. So teach your kids these tips and tricks, showing them how to care for their oral health and the environment at the same time.
You can set up a reward system like a sticker chart to encourage them to take care of their teeth and gums with a planet-kind approach.
And to ensure great oral health, make sure they’re up to date with their dentist appointments too. A family practice like Opal Dental will offer a child-friendly service and environment so your kid feels comfortable and may even look forward to their appointments.
Their regular checkups are an ideal time for your dentist to talk through their oral health routine and make recommendations for the good of their teeth and gums — and the environment too!
Flying the flag for greener oral care
It’s clear that making a few small changes can add up to a more sustainable way of caring for your teeth.
If you’d like advice on planet-friendly oral healthcare or any aspect of looking after your teeth and gums, give our team a shout.
We are always happy to see new patients for a checkup or for any specific issues relating to your oral care.
Think of us as your family-friendly dentist, serving Te Atatu and surrounding areas — and flying the flag for greener, cleaner oral care!
