1. Home
2. 
3. Health
4. 
6. 
7. Going Green with your Dental Routine

Do you feel more inspired than ever to help protect the environment? If that's the case, Dr. Shraddha Mishra, Founder of Niyama Care, tells you all about changing up your dental hygiene routine, which could be a simple way to help.

To begin, by turning off the water every time you brush, you could save approximately 200 gallons of water per month! You can even reuse your old plastic toothbrush by cleaning jewellery or polishing appliances instead of simply throwing them away. However, changing up the products you use on a daily basis is a surefire way to make an impact! Here are a few examples of dental hygiene tools that can help you save the environment while also maintaining your oral health.

1. Environment-Friendly Floss

If you've recently examined your standard dental floss, you may have noticed that both the floss and its container are made of plastic. While single-use plastic floss picks are convenient, they are also bad for the environment. Consider purchasing eco-friendly dental floss if you want to reduce your plastic usage. Floss does not have to be made of plastic to be effective; it can also be made of biodegradable silk. You can even find floss sold in glass or cardboard containers to avoid using plastic entirely.

2. Mouthwash with Zero Waste

Nowadays, there are eco-friendly alternatives for almost everything! You can now buy zero-waste mouthwash tablets instead of large plastic bottles of Listerine. These tablets are typically sold in glass containers, and all you have to do is drop one in a cup of water and rinse as usual! This product is just one simple way to reduce your daily use of plastic even further.

3. Bamboo Toothbrush

With a population of over 7 billion people, you can imagine how many of them use plastic toothbrushes every day. Unfortunately, these dental hygiene tools cannot be recycled, which is why bamboo toothbrushes, as an alternative to plastic toothbrushes, have become so popular in recent years. Bamboo is fantastic because it is strong, grows quickly, and decomposes! They're also very good at cleaning your teeth and keeping your gums healthy.

4. Water Pick

Consider purchasing a water pick if you want to go above and beyond with your flossing routine and completely remove your waste! Water picks are handheld tools that allow you to shoot a powerful stream of water between each tooth. This tool removes plaque and debris from your teeth and gums more effectively than traditional flossing. So you're not only protecting the environment but also your oral health!

With all of these tips, you should be able to establish an eco-friendly oral hygiene routine. And don't be concerned if you're just getting started. Don't try to incorporate new eco-friendly alternatives into your lifestyle all at once. Just remember that changing one small thing at a time is easier, especially when it comes to habits, and will save you a lot of frustration.

We should all work together to develop long-term healthcare tools and options to protect ourselves and our environment. It is obvious that if we choose to care for our planet, we can choose less harmful practices.