eSmile News
In this issue:
Dental Amalgam Waste
A healthier choice is to be metal free.
Have you ever wondered if your mercury fillings are good for you? Maybe you haven’t given it much thought because you have had them for such a long time. Today we know that mercury is a very toxic element and enters into our blood stream effecting many organs and unborn children.
Do you ever look in the mirror while brushing your teeth and wonder if your health is at risk depending on how big your mercury fillings are and how much tooth they actually cover. Or why they are going black? Maybe, how long do they last and how long have I had them? The age of these fillings also is an important factor when bacteria develop beneath them. Ever wondered why some people have black lines along the edge of their teeth and the gum line? That’s bacteria. As a wedge in a tree stump splits the wood into 4 pieces, the mercury filling will do the same thing to your tooth overtime. Mercury eventually can leak into those cracks and so can bacteria. Do you know how a thermometer works? The red temperature gauge is filled with mercury. When the temperature gets hot the mercury expands. This is exactly what happens inside our tooth. This is why we don’t use mercury metal for fillings at Oceanside Dental Spa.
Is it any wonder why we don’t use mercury fillings when we can’t put it into our sewers but we can put it into our mouths? New regulations of disposing and separating mercury will come into effect July 1, 2010. Other alternatives to mercury filling are white bonded composite. However if the filling is over thirty percent of the tooth, the alternative is bonded porcelain restoration. No longer will you have metal showing at the gum line. No more golden crowns. The sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet or pressure and pain don’t have to be in your future.
Oceanside Dental Spa Thinks Green
Putting our environment and community first.
Oceanside Dental Spa has a recycling program in the office and recycles all unwanted materials. The dental industry is full of paper. There is the patient history sheet to charting a patient’s procedure to reporting payments and tracking finances. All supplies come in boxes and plastic bottles. Besides our new custom emerald green pens, the clinic has been focusing on going-green. Here is what we are doing and using to be a green legend:
- paperless computer system
- digital x-ray system
- FSC certified paper
- multi-bin recycling centre in-house
- draft quality printing
- use both sides of the paper when possible
- conduct paper-less scanning
- recycle our ink cartridges
- efficient heating system
- conserve water by turning off tap when not in use and when washing hands
- buying locally to support community
The dedication to use digital radiographs reduces radiation by 90 percent and eliminates chemical toxins and solutions that are used in standard processing. Screensavers are also turned off to save energy. Light bulbs are replaced with energy efficient ones, separate switches are used for unwanted lights, programmable thermostats keep humidity at the lowest reducing energy costs, dry-suction is used instead of wet, stainless steel tips and tools are used instead of plastic disposable. The clinic is in a good location close to neighborhoods, pedestrian walkways and public transportation. There is so much to think about when it comes to being eco-friendly even our paper towel is certified by the Green Building Council. We really see ourselves as Eco-Friendly Dentistry, promoting green in-office by practices that keep us on the cutting edge of our community.
Paperless and Technically Advanced
Using new techniques to be environmentally-friendly.
Do you notice that technology is changing and being
updated more and more each day? There is the cell phone to the
Blackberry’s, the computer boxes to the handbag sized laptop computers,
the new chip readers on credit cards and then there is the advancement
with
televisions and media equipment.
Oceanside also is advancing with the demands of the health care industry. Our paperless system called Exan allows us the accuracy and efficiency to track and produce results without filing systems, paper and leaving confidential information at risk. We have reduced our garbage disposal in half by recycling weekly and keeping useless garbage out of the landfills. By using a digital computerized system, we use less ink in printers and fax machines. With this paperless system we have lowered our gas emissions in picking up or deliver supplies to the office. The overall environmental footprint of the clinic is a big awareness and is being refined daily in protecting our environment from damage.
Oceanside Dental Spa is reaching out and embracing a greener way of life. There are endless opportunities to contribute to helping the environment.
Community sustainability makes going green much more than a fad. It may very well be the most important concept of our time. Staying green isn’t an option!