Green Dentistry Tripling Dentists Bottom Line

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Dental News
In 2003 dentist Dr. Fred Pockrass and his wife Ida embarked upon a path to create a profitable model for dental offices with the goal of reducing waste, lowering operating costs and improvement their patient’s health interests. Today their pioneer efforts are an example of an emerging market segment called green dentistry.

Just The (Bottom Line) Facts
Natural Logic’s analysis of the Pockrass green dentist office found $50,000 of annual cost savings sourced from $2,237 a year achieved by converting to reusable cloth items, $601 a year by switching to energy efficient lighting, and $37,000 a year by abandoning amalgam filling materials, which contain 50% mercury. The Pockrass also experienced a revenue upside from marketing to value based consumers. Their green dental office now ranks among the top 5% of all American dental offices in annual revenue.

"Green dentistry has finally arrived," explains Ina Pockrass, CEO of Transcendentist, Inc., a professional green dental products company and co-creator of the country’s first green dental office. Green dentistry is pioneering innovations in the following key areas:

1. Reusable alternatives to plastic sterilization items and patient barriers reduce this waste and lowers dental office operating costs. "Our reusable sterilization pouches cost only $.10 per use while disposable versions cost $.20 per use. That’s a win for the environment and the pocketbook," Ina explains. In addition, a typical dental practice using conventional x-ray systems will generate a waste stream of lead foil and toxic x-ray development chemical waste. Green dental offices use digital imaging that eliminates the x-ray waste stream while also reducing a patient’s radiation exposure by 75% to 90%.

2. Green dentistry offices also focus on reducing energy consumption and related emissions through deployment of energy efficient lighting, installation of energy efficient heating/cooling equipment and the expanded use of natural light.

3. Rather than the typical wall of paper patient charts, green dentists use digital patient records and electronic patient communications. They use email and text to confirm patient appointments and conduct their patient outreach through electronic rather than paper newsletter. To the extent paper is used, the goal is to use 100% recycled paper and to set the office copiers to run double-sided.

The Growth Of Eco-Dentistry
Based upon this growing level of benefits documentation dentists are increasingly viewing green dentistry as an emerging opportunity. Today there is an Eco-dentistry Association (EDA). The EDA is a resource for dentists on best practices in green dentistry including a GreenDoc green dental office certification program focused upon waste reduction, pollution prevention, energy and water conservation, and wellness. The EDA also offers educational outreach to consumers on the benefits of earth-friendly dental practices and a website-listing of members enabling a consumer’s search for a nearby green dentist. Currently, EDA’s membership has grown to 500 participating members.