Eco-Dentistry green smiles

BERKELEY, California--The Eco-Dentistry Association has launched a new way to reward consumers for visiting an eco-friendly dentist and making eco-friendly oral health choices: the Eco-Dentistry Badge.

The award, created in collaboration with Practically Green--a company that uses gamification and social media to motivate people to help make planet-friendly choices--provides actions individual consumers and their friends can take.

The Eco-Dentistry Badge offers an engaged digital experience for users by allowing them to track their eco-friendly oral health behavior, earning points for each initiative. The customized badge specifically encourages consumers to:

*Use a toothbrush made from recycled or renewable materials and properly recycle it when it’s time to swap for a new one
*Turn off the water while brushing
*Seek oral care products free from chemicals, toxins, and alcohol
*Visit an eco-friendly dentist or participate in the EDA’s Green My Dentist campaign by sending a letter to the dentist encouraging him or her to “go green”

Completing these actions allows users the opportunity to earn 65 points in the Health category of Practically Green’s badges. Consumers are able to share their progress earning badges through their social media networks, and Practically Green will let consumers know of others in their community who have also earned the Eco-Dentistry badge.

The theory is that individuals are more likely to lead a sustainable lifestyle when it is fun and their progress is tracked and shared with friends and the larger community.

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“We want to empower individuals to make sustainable choices about their oral care and to remind them that simple steps can have a huge impact,” said EDA cofounder Ina Pockrass.

“Visiting a dental professional that shares an individual’s commitment to the environment forges a special bond of loyalty between patient and practitioner. Earning the Eco-Dentistry badge is a fun and easy way to remember that every action makes a difference, and it will help stimulate the transformation of the dental industry.”

The Eco-Dentistry badge is available to Practically Green users, and it’s free to sign-up. Users can sign up at www.practicallygreen.com, and once connected, individuals complete the How Green are You? quiz that assigns them a shade of green. Consumers can start to earn badges and encourage others in their network to do the same.

More information can be found at www.ecodentistry.org.

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