Green Dental Products That Are Good for Your Teeth and the Environment

Take Care of Your Teeth and The Planet with These Eco-Friendly Dental Products

While taking care of your oral health with regular brushing and flossing is incredibly important, most conventional dental products on the market use excess packaging and are made from wasteful, not so eco-friendly plastics.

So how do you strike a balance between taking care of your oral health while also being friendly to the environment? Here’s a guide to make your dental health routine a bit “greener” with eco-friendly dental products.

How to Make Your Oral Health Routine More Eco-Friendly

Since our oral health care routines are so ingrained in our daily habits, we often don’t think twice about the products we use. Maybe you have a favourite type of toothpaste, toothbrush, and floss. Or you just choose whatever is on sale.

Aside from that, you probably don’t think about the long-term effects of your purchasing decisions. But believe it or not, the products you use for your daily oral hygiene routine do make a huge impact on our planet.

Most of the products are made of plastics, which often end up in landfills, oceans, and other natural habitats. Plastics are taking over our planet to the point that marine life and even humans are ingesting microplastics. It’s scary stuff.

So in an effort to curb our addiction to plastic, natural eco-friendly products are gaining popularity. And now, you can even find green dental products for all of your oral health care needs online or at a natural foods store near you.

Even if you only switch to an eco-friendly toothbrush or floss, for now, a little bit of effort can go a long way to bettering our planet when everyone does their part.

So, if you’re interested in helping the planet for a better tomorrow, here are green dental care tips and eco-friendly products to consider adding to your daily oral health care routine.

Bamboo Toothbrush

Bamboo toothbrushes are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic toothbrushes. The bamboo handle of these toothbrushes is biodegradable (compostable), so it won’t pollute the Earth for 500 years or more like plastic.

Bamboo also grows quickly—up to four feet per day—without any pesticides or fertilizers, so it’s a sustainable material to use for manufacturing.

Some bristles are made from bamboo charcoal fibre, which is biodegradable. Though most bamboo toothbrushes don’t have biodegradable bristles, their bristles can be ripped out before composting. And they are often made of non-toxic, BPA-free nylon.

Recycle

Most traditional dental care products come in plastic and cardboard packaging. So if you use a plastic toothbrush, plastic toothpaste tubes, floss containers, and mouthwash bottles, make sure to recycle these and their packaging when discarding them instead of throwing them in the trash.

Use Less Water

Clean water is becoming scarcer on our planet. Meanwhile, we waste so much clean water when we leave the tap running. So to use less water when you brush your teeth, make sure to turn off the tap immediately after wetting your toothbrush. And turn it on only when you’re ready to rinse.

An alternative is filling a glass of water and using that to rinse instead of using your hand. Also, consider using cold water to conserve energy. Water temperature won’t affect how clean your teeth will be after brushing.

Teach your kids to conserve water too so they can develop this eco-friendly habit at an early age.

Avoid Products with Microbeads

Microbeads are tiny plastic particles used in products like toothpaste, face scrubs, and body scrubs. Microbeads have been banned in some countries since they are so harmful to the environment and your health.

But you can probably still find products with microbeads in Canada, so be cautious when choosing toothpaste and avoid products with the following ingredients:

Biodegradable Floss

For an eco-friendly dental floss option, consider biodegradable floss made from natural products, such as silk and plant-based wax.

And to reduce the amount of floss you use, try a floss handle to string a length of floss across. This handle also helps to reach the back teeth that are often difficult to floss.

Refillable Floss

Refillable silk floss comes with a reusable (often glass) container, so you can purchase refill spools to place in the container instead of buying disposable plastic floss containers. Refillable containers help reduce plastic waste that often ends up in landfills.

Toothpaste Tablets

Toothpaste tablets are a zero-waste toothpaste option that doesn’t use any plastic. These powder tablets come in a glass jar and refills come in compostable pouches.

Simply place a tablet on your toothbrush, wet it, and you’re ready to brush your teeth.

Replaceable Toothbrush Heads

Some eco-brands have also come out with traditional toothbrushes that have replaceable heads. So instead of replacing the whole toothbrush, you can reduce waste and only replace the small head.

Switching to a few green dental products may not seem like you’re making an impact. But each small effort made by many people adds up to make the world a healthier place. Just being aware of the small changes you can make is enough to be more environmentally conscious and hopefully will help influence some of your choices. So consider these tips to take care of your teeth and the environment.