I may be getting older, a big birthday is looming, but do you think like me it is getting more difficult to do the right thing?
We want our patients to use an electric toothbrush. Sounds simple enough but what about all the plastic you can’t recycle easily when the head needs changing? The same with interdental brushes- more plastic? Whilst on the subject of recycling, how difficult is that to get right? We have a recycling bin at the practice, which I take home, because as a business we can’t have a recycling collection, every time there will be something in it that is in the wrong bin!
In the treatment rooms cross infection is very important. This does seem to mean though lots of throwing away single use items like mouth wash cups. Equipment is covered in, you guessed it plastic, which is then thrown away. Endodontic treatment involves single use files. Some kit that was metal which was sterilised and reused is now single use throw away plastic. Is that progress?
We recently had a lovely holiday in South Africa including a Safari. Now I hope seeing animals in the wild will encourage both myself and my family to think about looking after the planet more. But what is the effect of that long flight!!!
So enough moaning what can be done? Well you can get electric toothbrush heads that you return to the manufacturer for recycling either from Holland and Barrett or Amazon. So, I intend to try them. Interdental brushes you can get bamboo ones which I hope to try as well. We have asked for a recycling bins for oral hygiene products as Colgate were recently promoting a scheme with that, so far, no response, so they need chasing up. We are looking for some greener mouthwash cups instead of our single use plastic ones.
Perhaps one day the team will remember that tea bags don’t go in the recycling bin. Until then I can fish them out. If you have tried some greener oral hygiene products do let me know how you found them to use.
Those who know me won’t be surprised to learn I don’t intend to stop flying anytime soon!
