Dental Practices in the UK are going Green

A US eco dentistry expert has applauded the efforts of dentists here in the UK for spearheading ‘green’ practices in the surgery.
In Pockrass, co founder of the US Eco Dentistry Association said, “The UK is ahead of the curve on capturing mercury containing dental materials before they enter the water supply. Without this local waste water treatment facilities are not able to capture the elemental mercury before it enters the water supply. This can be ingested by fish and transformed into methyl mercury which is highly toxic when consumed by humans.”
The US Eco Dentistry Association has 10 top tips for dental professionals.

• Replace disposable office products with re usables, like washable ‘rinse and swish’ cups
• Re use lab boxes
• Use cloth lab coats instead of throwing out a paper lab coat after each patient
• Switch to an environmentally sound surface disinfectant.
• Recycle printer cartridges 
• Buy prophy paste in bulk.
• Drop off old magazines to retirement homes instead of throwing them away.
• Email patients their walk out statements instead of printing them.
• Request that your dental surgery supply company ship as many items as possible in one box
• Pledge to turn off the water when you brush.