Green Dentistry - For Human and Environmental Health

The 'green' movement is far from new, but it is starting to find it's way into realms you wouldn't necessarily expect it, and that includes dental care. With literally billions of people using oral hygiene products every day, their impact on the environment is significant, and something we should all be concerned about. Besides the environmental impact, people are becoming more conscious of what they are putting into their bodies. Without a doubt you understand the benefits that proper dental care provides. Making sure you are able to take advantage of these benefits while not compromising your health, or the health of the environment is important. This is why you should consider using eco friendly dental products.

Chemicals that you use every day in your home can pass through water treatment plants and end up in waterways around the world. Despite the small amount of these chemicals that  come from each household, the combined effect from the entire population is having a noticeable effect on eco-systems. For example, triclosan, a chemical found in most toothpastes is toxic to fish, and in a high enough dose, can limit the ability for the muscles in fish to function properly.This is just one of many examples of the ways you may be damaging the world we live in without even realizing it. Being conscious of these issues can help us respond to them, and eco friendly dental products give you a choice to make a smaller chemical footprint while still maintaining a healthy mouth.

Standard toothpaste and mouth wash is currently regulated as a drug. This means that only 'active' ingredients are required to be listed on the package. This gives health conscious consumers concerns about what they are actually putting into their bodies. While there are an ample amount of studies that claim the ingredients in these products are safe, there are others that believe otherwise. Regardless of the validity of either side of this argument, there is a demand for products that use alternative, healthy ingredients that are clearly listed on the package. 

If you were presented with the choice between two products, both equally effective at oral care, but only one can guarantee it won't damage the environment or your general health, the choice would be easy. That is the realization that a lot of people are coming to. Why take the chance when there is an alternative? If you recycle, reuse plastic bags, or turn off the water when you brush, then you care, and you are willing to make a difference. Choosing eco friendly dental products is just one more way you can make the choice to make a difference and stay healthy.

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http://www.ecodentistry.org/
http://practicegreenhealth.org
http://davidsuzuki.org/