How Paramount Dental Sydney is helping combat the ‘Plastic Crisis’

Did you know that a US study has shown that if you laid out all of the used toothbrushes thrown away in just one year, they could wrap around the Earth four times? Paramount Dental Sydney was shocked by this, so we’re trying to do our part in minimising plastic waste. Where do we start? Bamboo toothbrushes…

As the planet faces a plastic crisis with dire effects on the environment, animals and even us, it’s more important than ever that we all do something to make improvements.

Firstly, there are some really solid reasons why you should ditch your disposable plastic toothbrush immediately…

Over a billion toothbrushes end up in landfill
And that’s in North America alone! With close to 8 billion people in the world, that increases to an alarmingly high number of toothbrushes wasting away worldwide.
Plastic toothbrushes are made with toxic chemicals
Toothbrushes and their packaging are created with a cocktail of crude oil, rubber, harmful plastic by-products as well as petroleum and crude oil! And you guessed correctly…. None of those are good for the environment.
Plastic toothbrushes require oil to manufacture
Oil is not a renewable resource. Oils must be constantly created to ensure it doesn’t run out which has negative effects on ecosystems and animal habitats.
A plastic toothbrush remains in landfill forever
The decomposing process for a toothbrush takes 400 years! That’s 5 human lifetimes. While they decompose, they release chemicals into the air impacting the environment.
They harm beaches and oceans
As waste inevitably ends up in our oceans, plastic can be broken into small pieces that are ingested by marine life, often ending in the illness or death of sea life.

So is a bamboo toothbrush a good alternative?

Sure is! While it’s clear that plastic toothbrushes are harmful to the environment, there is an alternative that can help reduce the damage being done. Toothbrushes made of bamboo are a renewable alternative that has the added benefit of being 100% biodegradable.

In addition to that…

Charcoal infused floss tip bristles (these don’t replace flossing)
100% beeswax coated handle to minimise water absorption
Rigorously tested and BPA free
Better for the environment with the handle made of 100% natural biodegradable bamboo (remove the bristles before you dispose of them)
Bamboo is sustainably grown

Where can I get a bamboo toothbrush?

Paramount Dental Sydney has new bamboo toothbrushes available to all of our patients. You can pick one up at your next appointment, and we’re giving them to you, free of charge.