Going... Going... Going... Gone Green

The concept of “going green” is certainly a popular topic in the world today. Despite terms like compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), energy efficient, and carbon footprint becoming more familiar to us, there is still a lot of ambiguity around what all this means, particularly as it relates to the practice of dentistry. Even so, the entire health care industry is going through a paradigm shift toward eco-friendly delivery of care.

Annual Environmental Impact of Dentistry 680 million disposable plastic barriers 1.7 billion sterilization pouches 28 million liters of fixer 4.8 million lead foils 3.7 tons of amalgam waste 9 billion gallons of water (water vacuum systems) or 360 gallons of water/day/office From the Eco-Dentistry Association

Green Links

In putting together this compendium, we found a tremendous amount of information on “green dentistry.” Our goal is to educate members at both ends of the spectrum. We selected introductory articles for the neophytes, and included links for those who have a genuine interest but already understand the basics. The information has been condensed into summaries, tables, and lists of relevant information.

Council on Dental Practice

Standing Committee on the New Dentist