If you enjoy taking steps to help the environment every opportunity you can, then it’s important to consider how your oral care products, and their disposal, affects the environment. Thankfully, you don't have to sacrifice good oral health to reduce the environmental impact of your oral hygiene routine.
Read on to learn about three ways to make your oral health routine more environmentally friendly without sacrificing the health of your teeth and gums.
1. Switch to an All-Natural Dental Floss or a Water Flosser
Typical dental floss is made from nylon and comes in a plastic container. While you may discard just a small portion of dental floss after each flossing session, all of those small strands of dental floss add up once they are placed in landfills, along with their plastic cases.
Flossers with plastic handles are even worse for the environment since the plastic handle is discarded after each flossing session.
There are several eco-friendly alternatives to traditional nylon dental floss on the market today. These flosses are made from all-natural materials, such as silk, and coated with natural beeswax or plant wax.
Or, if you dislike flossing your teeth altogether, consider substituting your traditional daily flossing with the use of a water flosser. Studies have shown that water flossers remove just as much, if not more, plaque from teeth after brushing than traditional dental flossing does.
2. Re-Think Toothpaste in a Tube
While most of today's toothpastes are not extreme environmental hazards, the tubes they are packaged in are. About
one billion
toothpaste tubes end up in landfills each year, and many tubes are even sold in boxes, which create even additional waste.
These tubes are difficult to recycle traditionally because they are often made with both plastic and aluminum.
Consider switching to a dry toothpaste powder that you just add water to at home. These powders are often sold in recyclable glass jars and aluminum tins. In addition, since these powders are highly concentrated and water-free, they need less packaging altogether.
Another alternative is to brush with baking soda that you can find right at your local grocery store. However, if you are cavity-prone, then stick to a pre-made powder that contains cavity-fighting fluoride.
3. Consider Creating a Homemade Mouth Rinse
Do you use a store-bought mouthwash to freshen your breath or to kill oral bacteria that may be left behind after brushing and flossing? Thankfully, many mouthwash bottles can be thrown right in the plastic recycling bin when they are empty.
However, remember it is ideal to reduce waste altogether when possible because the creation of new plastic bottles along with the process of shipping mouthwash products to stores can take a toll on the environment. Consider creating your own mouth rinse at home and storing it in a glass container.
Follow these tips to make your at-home oral health routine more environmentally friendly. Contact Family Dental Care of Wilmington to schedule a
dental cleaning and exam
today.
