Category: environment

We value our environmental practicies

Posted on by adminvpdc in environment

World Environment Day is on June 5th 2024 and the focus is on #GenerationRestoration.  The theme is on accelerating land restoration, drought resilience, and desertification progress. We are trying to do our bit to support the environment with our environmental protection procedures in line with our practice values and our personal values too. 

Dr Stone’s Girl Guide unit is always involved with Clean Up Australia every year going down Fourth Creek and returning with all sorts of interesting things.  This year was the huge amount of bubble wrap coiled around the bushes in the creek, the stroller and the part of a shopping trolley.  Our trail of guides looked really cool coming up out of the creek with our Clean Up Australia Bags.

Here at Victoria Park Dental Care we must maintain many standards in dentistry; however, we choose to maintain an environmentally friendly standard for all of us.  Did you know we:

  • Use paper-based wipes and concentrated biodegradable disinfectants/detergents to remove contaminants from the surfaces within the surgery rooms.
  • Recycle all of our masks through TerraCycle.  This is a paid service that helps prevent masks being added to landfill, or ending up in the ocean.  They recycle all of the masks and make new products.
  • Use totally degradable barriers for draping the surgery.  Once in landfill, the microorganisms break it down to Carbon Dioxide, water, humus, and trace elements. This does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil, doesn’t emit methane or nitrous oxide, and can safely be recycled.
  • Have changed all of our fluorescent light globes to more energy efficient LED lighting.  This will reduce our energy consumption used for lighting by up to 80%.
  • Recycle all of our plastic drink cups, paper and cardboard, we are grateful for the support of the Burnside City Council making recycling available to businesses! 
  • Are also proud to support TerraCycle with recycling oral care products and packaging. Feel free to bring in your oral care products when you next visit to place in the special TerraCycle bin!  This initiative has 6000 participating locations across Australia, recycling close to 650,000 units of used dental care products.  The recycled waste is then processed and used in making a range of products like garden beds and benches for schools to name a couple. 
  • We are part of the circular economy too with as many instruments sterilized as possible so we aren’t purchasing ‘consumables’ all the time.  And our broken ones can re reused in other ways, or recycled.  We also purchase products and paper that is made using recycled ingredients.
  • Dr Stone also prefers to fix equipment rather than send it to the landfill and buy new if possible. Every little bit helps!

In clinic news this month we had the Infection Control Course on the new national standards for infection control and reprocessing reusable medical devices and other devices in health and non-health related facilities.  All staff attended and had a great time at the Adelaide Oval. We hope you saw the pictures!

Lana has joined us in reception.  Dr Nick Heide, Trudy and Sarah have moved clinics south of the city and we wish them well with their new roles.  We have adjusted the clinic days to Tuesday to Thursday.  Zakia has joined us to assist you with your dental hygiene needs and she is available on Tuesday and Thursday.  We know you will welcome our new team members to our dental family.

See you in the clinic!  The Victoria Park Dental Care team.

PS:  check out our socials (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) for top tips for teeth, mouth and gums and dental family snaps!  Maybe even the latest video on YouTube. 

Dentistry and the environment

Posted on by adminvpdc in environment

Looking after the environment is part of Dr Stone’s soul.  We are sure you have heard her talking about it during your appointment.  In April while Dr Stone was in Cambodia and Thailand on holidays, she and her husband helped out on the sea kayaking trip picking up plastic and rubbish along the way, and cleaning the beach where they were staying in the mornings.  Her Girl Guide unit is always involved with Clean Up Australia every year going down Fourth Creek and returning with all sorts of interesting things.  Last year was marked by over 40 masks and this years ‘high point’ was the two mattresses just pushed into the creek.

Here at Victoria Park Dental Care we must maintain many standards in dentistry; however, we choose to maintain an environmentally friendly standard for all of us.  Did you know we:

  • Recycle all of our masks through TerraCycle.  This is a paid service that helps prevent masks being added to landfill, or ending up in the ocean.  They recycle all of the masks and make new products.
  • Use totally degradable barriers for draping the surgery.  Once in landfill, the microorganisms break it down to Carbon Dioxide, water, humus, and trace elements. This does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil, doesn’t emit methane or nitrous oxide, and can safely be recycled.
  • Use paper-based wipes and concentrated biodegradable disinfectants/detergents to remove contaminants from the surfaces within the surgery rooms.
  • Have changed all of our fluorescent light globes to more energy efficient LED lighting.  This will reduce our energy consumption used for lighting by up to 80%.
  • Recycle all of our plastic drink cups, paper and cardboard.
  • Are also proud to support TerraCycle with recycling oral care products and packaging. Feel free to bring in your oral care products when you next visit to place in the special TerraCycle bin!  This initiative has 6000 participating locations across Australia, recycling close to 650,000 units of used dental care products.  The recycled waste is then processed and used in making a range of products like garden beds and benches for schools to name a couple. 
  • Available at the practice are a selection of bamboo interdental brushes.  We have had a lot of success with the cornstarch brushes too.  They are ecofriendly, made with sustainable bamboo and are non- toxic and BPA free. 

World Environment Day is on June 5th 2023 and the focus is on #beatplasticpollution.  This is the 50th Anniversary of this event. We are trying to do our bit to support the environment with our environmental protection procedures in line with our practice values and our personal values too.  If you think others may be interested in a practice mindful of our impact on the world, please share this newsletter with them.

See you in the clinic!  The Victoria Park Dental Care team.

PS:  check out our socials (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) for top tips for teeth, mouth and gums and dental family snaps!  Maybe even the latest video on YouTube.