ECO FRIENDLY DENTISTRY

It’s Not Easy Being Green!

Dr. Harding has made the commitment to be as environmentally friendly as possible in office selecting her equipment and practices for day-to-day patient care. Medical and Dental facilities can produce a large amount of waste and use a lot of energy and water in one day. Our goal at Ivy Dental is to recycle the waste we produce, reduce the energy and water spent running the dental equipment, and reuse as many products as possible through careful steam sterilization techniques.

Here is a list of how Dr. Harding and Ivy Dental works to reduce our carbon footprint:

Behind the Scenes

• Recycled water vacuum system

• Amalgam separator in vacuum system

• Oil-less compressor

• Steam sterilizer

• High efficiency washer/dryer for in house laundering and environmentally friendly detergent

• Hand sanitizers throughout the practice

• Reusing and refurbishing used equipment to make “like new” without replacing

• Replacing all lights as they burn out with LED lightbulbs

• BPA free composites

• Purchasing recycled supplies

• Recycling and Composting Kitchen Waste

During Patient Treatment

• Digital radiographs

• Minimal paper for new patient paperwork (available online)

• Electronic patient records

• Using LED headlamps rather than lightbulbs during patient care

• No amalgam restorations placed

• Cloth “Enviropouch” sterilization pouches ( no plastic disposables as most offices)

• Metal cassette trays for instruments

• Reusable patient bibs and chair barriers

• Recycling waste

Before and After Appointments

• Encouraging staff/patients to utilize available public transportation.

• 5% Cash discount for those who ride their bike or walk to their appointment!

• Email invoices and reminders for 6 month cleaning appointments

• Collecting used toothbrushes to mail into the “Gimmie 5” recycling program.