The dental care industry is a big perpetrator of plastic waste. Think of your toothbrush: plastic handle and bristles. Toothpaste: plastic tube. Dental floss: made of nylon, a type of plastic, not to mention the plastic floss dispenser.
Oral care is vitally important to personal health and hygiene, so you shouldn’t have to compromise your health for the environment. Luckily, with a new wave of sustainable dental care, you don’t have to.
Switch from your plastic toothbrush to one made of bamboo. Not only is it compostable, which means it doesn’t go into a landfill, bamboo actually has natural antimicrobial properties to fight bacteria.
Almost 1.5 billion empty plastic toothpaste tubes end up in landfills in the U.S. Switching to a metal toothpaste tube ensures you can recycle the finished tube instead of pitching it in the garbage. Plus, switching away from a plastic tube can help you avoid the potentially harmful effects of BPA in plastic packaging.
If you’re still not sold on a tube of toothpaste, there’s another sustainable option: chewable toothpaste tablets. These tablets leave a significantly smaller carbon footprint than regular toothpaste in a plastic tube.
You can even find sustainable floss made from materials such as bamboo and silk.
Top 5 questions about your child’s dental care
When should my child start using a fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash?
Dentists recommend using fluoride toothpaste once your child is able to spit. It’s important not to swallow toothpaste, which is why there are different toothpastes for children and adults.
When should my child begin flossing?
It’s recommended that children begin flossing once all baby teeth are in and teeth are touching one another. One of the primary purposes of flossing is to remove food particles from between teeth, so waiting until teeth are touching or close together is a good philosophy
Is it normal for adult teeth to appear before baby teeth are lost?
This is a pretty common occurrence, especially when molars grow in before front teeth are lost. Check with your child’s dentist to be sure!
Are dental X-rays safe?
In general, yes! Dental X-rays present very minimal exposure to radiation. Plus, they’re an important tool for dentists to be able to track the structure of your child’s mouth and treat it with the utmost care.
How often should I schedule dental appointments for my child?
Dentists recommend kids have an appointment every six months. As quickly as kids grow, so do their mouths. It’s important for your pediatric dentist to check in with your child’s teeth twice a year.
Information gathered from The American Dental Association.
Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
