Finding the Best Sustainable Toothbrush For Your Teeth
If you find yourself motivated to live life sustainably, then one of the best places to start is with your routines. If you brush and floss regularly, you know that using this routine daily matters for your oral health. However, the products surrounding our lives are often filled with non-renewable resources, including plastic and latex, that harm our landfills and pollute our oceans. Plastic toothbrushes have become one of our highest commodities, but it’s also one of the biggest polluters we have today.
So, how change you change this problem? Start by changing what toothbrush you use. Over 50 million lbs of plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year, accounting for a significant portion of the world’s overall waste production. Many businesses have responded to this issue by innovating new toothbrushes that are made using ethical sources. Here’s our short guide for choosing the best toothbrush for your needs.
Convenience, Sustainability, and the ADA
Because plastic has such a huge impact on our environment, changing your toothbrush sounds like an excellent way to start. However, one of the biggest issues with choosing toothbrushes is whether or not they meet ADA standards. While many of those bamboo toothbrushes are great choices for the environment, it doesn’t mean that the design and construction of the toothbrush are considered safe. So, where do you find a balance between finding sustainable sources and safety measures from the ADA and FDA?
Our suggestion? Always look for toothbrushes that have the ADA seal of acceptance. This seal is given to products that meet ADA’s guidelines and establish healthy measures for brushing one’s teeth. However, many of these products don’t always address the sustainability issue, so it’s important to find a balance between meeting these guidelines and paying attention to the companies you purchase from that incorporate sustainable sources.
Toothbrush Options For Sustainable Oral Care
No matter what you choose, always choose toothbrushes that work with your needs and your health. Here are our recommendations for toothbrushes:
- RADIUS Brand Toothbrushes: The RADIUS brand has a unique design that’s safe for children with large handles and wide brush heads. It’s made from cellulose sourced from yield trees.
- Electric Toothbrushes: Electric toothbrushes replace the grind with manual brushing and reduce the amount of plastic used. However, the trade-off is that the batteries that need to be replaced also cause significant waste.
- Bamboo Toothbrushes: Even though bamboo toothbrushes don’t have an ADA seal of acceptance, these toothbrushes are made from ethically sourced materials.
The best place to find more resources about toothbrush options is to speak with your dentist. You can also recycle your plastic toothbrushes if you intend on using them to reduce plastic waste throughout the world. Your dentist can provide you with the resources you need to make more ethical choices regarding your oral care and help you make lifelong choices to improve both your oral health and the environment.
