Learning How To Brush Your Teeth Environmentally Sustainably

Plastic has become one of the world’s most highly used commodities – but in turn, it has become one of the most harmful materials to our environment. Often found in our toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and floss containers, plastic has become a standard material used in dentistry to provide people with better oral care products. If you find yourself wondering how the products you use and wish to be more sustainable, then there are changes you can make to every aspect of your life, including your oral care routine. As dentists, we can provide some more sustainable options to help lessen your impact on the environment while keeping your teeth clean and healthy.

Sustainable Acts For Brushing Your Teeth

Plastic is a huge problem because of how it fills up our landfills and pollutes our ocean shores. But maintaining your everyday life and making your life more sustainable are two completely different challenges. With sustainability comes responsibility, and for any environmental activist, becoming more aware of the choices they make in any capacity can often take away the conveniences that our industries provide. For those who care about their oral health, making an Eco-friendly initiative towards their oral care can take time and practice to change those habits. However, it can be done because the minor choices you make each day will all surmount to a better future for you and the environment.

Here are some options that you can take to reduce your impact on the environment and make your oral care routine more sustainable:

• Use Less Water: Each person wastes over four gallons of water along while brushing their teeth. Shutting off the tap water after wetting your toothbrush and using water to rinse will eliminate wastewater and help natural ecosystems sustain their environment.
• Toothpaste Tablets: Toothpaste tablets have been developed by companies making a more sustainable initiative to replace tubes. These tablets help reduce plastic waste and dispense toothpaste in small quantities to make brushing easier.
• Bamboo Toothbrushes: Bamboo toothbrushes have been developed as a long-term, sustainable option thanks to their fully biodegradable material.

Your Impact On The Environment And Your Oral Health

Even while choosing the best products and reducing your water intake, it may not seem like enough. That’s because it takes the full collective of people worldwide to make these goals a reality. Environmental sustainability is always on the front line of research as researchers continue to look into sustainable oral health interventions to encourage the industry towards more Eco-friendly models of healthcare.

Nevertheless, choosing the best products and using less water will make long strides towards sustainability. It’s essential to continue researching the effects that your choices make on the environment and help change every aspect of your life towards a more Eco-friendly future. For more information about how to be more sustainable, contact your primary dentist to learn more about their recommendations and other efforts you can make to have healthy teeth and a healthy environment.