As you may have already read in my previous post, I visited a new Dentist location. Aside from being blown away by her procedures pertaining to special needs patients (blown away doesn't even begin to describe it), I was also intrigued by some other awesome (and innovative) details in her office. When I say awesome, I truly mean I was in awe.
My personal awareness of radiation exposure, metals & chemicals that are considered unhealthy etc., came along with the diagnosis of my son's Autism, as well as my grandmother's diagnosis of cancer. In my experience, dealing with these illnesses opened the flood doors to questions: Why did this happen? How do we heal? While I may never know the answers to these in particular, one thing remained the same: Prevention.
If we know exposure to certain chemicals and radiation could harm us, what could we do to avoid it, or lessen the affects if at all possible? These are questions I have had for Dr.'s in the past. Unfortunately, my concerns were never validated, and I was treated as if I were "over reacting" for asking if the radiation from too many ultrasounds could hurt my unborn child. (FYI new moms, if a Dr. scoffs at you because they think your question is insignificant... don't walk, RUN. If you can't trust them to have a real, open conversation about procedures (and their effects), they don't deserve to be trusted during your most vulnerable moments, you deserve a Dr. who can be honest and open. I promise you they exist!).
This is where Dr. Manning comes in. When I listened to Dr. Manning explain the equipment (and decor) she personally hand selected for her office.. again, amazed. THE DETAILS and THOUGHT that went into everything! Her personal touch is everywhere, and the extent she went to be environmentally friendly, even makes me question my own personal footprint!
First, let's discuss the radiation. X-rays are vital to our health, dental health is especially reliant on x-rays...
At Solstice, Dr. Manning selected a device called the Nomad.
When you go to the dentist, you usually have to stand up, clamp your teeth on an uncomfortable machine, and wait for the pictures to be taken. Have you ever tried doing that with a little child? Not fun! Here at Solstice, they use The Nomad (a hand held digital x-ray, lower radiation device), as you sit comfortably as they take your x-rays. Not only is it convenient for little ones &/or patients with special needs, you also have LESS radiation exposure. Genius. Alongside this amazing device, they also use *Lead Free* Patient Aprons. Lead. Free.
According to Dr. Manning:
These lead free aprons, are as effective as lead aprons for protecting patients from x-ray scatter, but without the environmental impact of lead manufacturing or risk of lead exposure to the patient. They're also lighter and more comfortable than traditional lead aprons.
When you walk in, the first thing you notice are the *gorgeous* counter tops (specifically selected because they are) made of beautiful recycled glass. This elegant space is also decorated with live plants, which she selected for their air purification qualities. When I asked about the construction of her office, I loved how much effort and thought she put into caring for the environment:
During construction, we used Low-VOC paints and adhesives limiting the use of unnecessary disposables. We installed LEED-certified dental cabinetry, along with LED lighting.
I find that very admirable, that she cares about the environment. So much so, that she has a special system in place for disposing metals from her office.
We use BPA, Metal, & Mercury-Free fillings and restorations. Even though we don't place mercury fillings in our office, there are cases where we will need to remove them from a patient's mouth. In these instances, it is my belief that they should be disposed of responsibly. We have a piece of equipment called an amalgam separator, which collects the mercury-containing materials, so they are not able to return to the water supply. For a practice as small as ours that does not place mercury fillings, this piece of equipment is not required by law. However, we feel it's important to consider the environmental impact of any amount of mercury finding its way into our water supply and to prevent that from happening.
Along with their procedures for collecting mercury-containing materials, they also use a special water-less vacuum to remove water from their patients mouths.
Our office has a waterless vacuum system called a Mojave DryVac. Traditional vacuum systems require a large flow of water to create the suction needed to perform dentistry. In fact, the average dental office uses 200,000 gallons of water per year to generate the suction required. That is the equivalent of filling one Olympic-sized swimming pool each month just to remove spit and water from patients' mouths. The waterless system in our office uses no water or oil and has a variable motor that adjusts depending upon suction usage to save energy as well.
She even goes as far as to use digital impressions, radio-graphs and paperless charting in order to decrease waste.
When I say Dr. Manning is raising the bar for practices in Louisville, I should have said she's raising the bar for all of us. Excuse me while I go collect plastic bottles to recycle.
Check out Solstice Dental & Aesthetics!
Solstice Dentistry & Aesthetics
2301 Terra Crossing Blvd.
Louisville, Ky. 40245
502-434-4004
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When I say Dr. Manning is raising the bar for practices in Louisville, I should have said she's raising the bar for all of us. Excuse me while I go collect plastic bottles to recycle.
Check out Solstice Dental & Aesthetics!
Solstice Dentistry & Aesthetics
2301 Terra Crossing Blvd.
Louisville, Ky. 40245
502-434-4004
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