The Green Zone

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | April 6, 2012

Practice Management Tips: Earth Day is Your Green Office New Year!

As a dental office that makes the planet a priority every day, Earth Day, which falls on April 22^nd, and the month leading up to it, is a fantastic time for a major marketing and publicity campaign about your green dental office.

Earth Day month launches with the 2^nd quarter of 2012. Your team is back from the winter holiday and in the groove. Spring is in the air, and it’s a great time to reach out to your community.

I like to think of Earth Day as New Year for the eco-passionate, and use it as an opportunity to do the same things I do at the calendar New Year: celebrate success, share with friends, and set goals for the coming year.

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Posted in Get Involved, Green Dentistry, Letters from the EDA

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | March 22, 2012

DANGER: Read Your Labels!

If you’re like many of us, you’re reading the labels on everything from snack crackers to face creams. But are we bringing this same critical eye to our dental offices?

As we work with practices committed to making their offices as environmentally sound as possible, an area of challenge for some is our recommendation that they stop using cold sterile solutions. The essential ingredient in dental office cold sterile solutions is glutaraldehyde, which OSHA labels a “toxic chemical.” And with good reason; here’s an excerpt from the MSDS (the Material Safety Data Sheet) for glutaraldehyde:

“DANGER: CORROSIVE! Causes irreversible eye damage and skin burns. DO NOT get in eyes, on skin or on clothing. Protect eyes by wearing goggles or face shield. Protect skin by wearing protective gloves and protective clothing. Remove protective clothing and wash clothing before reuse.”

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Posted in Dental Industry, Green Dentistry

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | March 15, 2012

Make Every Drop Count: Top Five Water Savers in the Dental Office

Implement these water-saving initiatives today and do your part to conserve one of our most precious and scarce resources.

In the developed world, we take clean, fresh water for granted. Turn on the faucet and the supply seems endless. But it isn’t. The truth is that nearly one-third of the worlds’ people still live without access to safe drinking water, let alone access to water clean enough to be used in dentistry. And, if all of the world’s water were placed in a bucket, only one teaspoon would be usable by humans.

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Posted in Dental Industry, Green Dentistry, Green Products, Uncategorized

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | March 8, 2012

A Green Dental Office Is a Thriving Dental Office

We recently had the profound pleasure of connecting with Gary Takacs, founder of Takacs Learning Center and mastermind behind the Thriving Dentist Radio Show. Gary’s show is the number one dental podcast, and for good reason. His insightful, practical approach to developing a more profitable and enjoyable dental practice resonates with dentists worldwide. We were thrilled about the opportunity for EDA Co-Founder Ina Pockrass to be featured in his most recent Thriving Dentist podcast, “Dentistry’s Green Future”, which you can find here: Listen to “Dentistry’s Green Future” on iTunes.

EDA GreenDOC Office, Park City Dental Spa Park City, Utah

Prior to the show, Gary shared with us his “6 Elements of a Thriving Dental Practice”, which help his clients grow and strengthen their practices. One element in particular caught our attention, his third commandment: Operate a state of the art facility with the best technology and innovations that dentistry has to offer.

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Posted in Dental Industry, Green Dentistry

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | February 29, 2012

Be The “Go To” Green Dentist in Your Area

Last night’s Madow Powerhouse Call was packed with excellent tips for how to be the “Go To Dentist” in your area. If you aren’t familiar with the Madow Brothers, or the Powerhouse Membership, we highly encourage you to check them out!

In the meantime, here are ways we recommend EDA members be the “go to” dentist in your area:

(1) Five star client service. It’s a given. No matter how much marketing you do, if you treat people poorly and hurt them, they won’t come back and they won’t refer you to friends! But a “go to” practice goes beyond just not hurting people! Train your team to provide 5-star client service.

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Posted in Dental Industry, Green Dentistry

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | February 15, 2012

Earn Your Eco-Dentistry Badge

Think you’ve got a green smile? Well, we’re happy to announce the launch of the Eco-Dentistry Badge, the newest way to reward you for visiting an eco-friendly dentist and making eco-friendly choices when it comes to your oral health!

The Eco-Dentistry Badge, available for free on Practically Green, invites you and your friends, family and patients to take specific actions and then share them with your community. Each initiative you take to lighten your environmental impact makes your smile a darker shade of green. Bragging rights, anyone?

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Posted in Dental Industry, Get Involved, Green Dentistry, Patient Education, Patients

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | January 19, 2012

Hot Topic: Talking Fluoride with Green Dental Patients

Fluoride is a hot topic among green dental patients—and with good reason. Many studies indicate that fluoride is an effective method for preventing tooth decay and remineralizing enamel. However, a steady stream of research suggests that ingesting too much fluoride can have negative effects. The evidence is conflicting and can be confusing for parents and patients who want to make the best decision for long-term cavity prevention. Regardless of your position on the matter, it’s not a simple “good or bad” answer, and green dental patients will appreciate the time you take to explain the issue fully.

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Posted in Green Dentistry, Letters from the EDA, Patient Education

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | January 5, 2012

The Health of Your Mouth Mirrors Your Overall Health

Guest blog by EDA Member and GreenDOC Gold Certified Dr. Thomas Gent of SoLa Dental. Located in Austin, Texas, SoLa Dental focuses on the health and well-being of patients as well as the planet. Learn more about SoLa Dental on their website.

Oral Health and Overall Health, a Symbiotic Relationship

Your mouth is a mirror that reflects your overall health and well-being. It’s also a key determinant of your nutritional status and your self-esteem. “Oral health means more than sound teeth. Oral health is integral to overall health,” says Donna E. Shalala in the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health.

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Posted in Green Dentistry, Patient Education

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | December 20, 2011

10 Tips to Green the Holidays

The holidays are just around the corner and so comes the chaos of planning for the perfect celebration with your loved ones, both in the office and out! This year, make your holiday celebrations good for people and for the planet.

We know you might be too busy wondering how you’re going to fit 20 out-of-state guests in your home this year to consider the not-so-nice side of the holiday season. But consider this: Americans throw away an additional 5 million tons of trash during the holidays-25% more than usual-between Thanksgiving and New Years. That amount doesn’t include the 4 million tons of gift-wrap we toss in the garbage from Christmas gift giving. Yikes!

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Posted in Green Dentistry, Green Products, Patients

Posted by: Transform Limiting Beliefs | December 15, 2011

It’s All Hands On Deck!

When the captain of a ship shouts these words, there’s no mistake what this means: everyone’s help is needed now! The truth of the matter is that our planet and the people who inhabit it are facing a perfect storm of exponential population growth, dwindling resources and arable land, climate change, and increased natural disasters.