I solemnly swear to be honest to you. That includes admitting that I don’t know if or when I will be able to give up my sonicare. But when I can, I will switch to bamboo. Now that I have that off my chest, let’s dive in.
Bamboo is naturally antimicrobial. Bamboo biodegrades. Some bamboo toothbrushes have bristles that break down and some do not. When you decide to purchase bamboo toothbrushes, beware the packaging, if the vendor includes plastic packaging….it has ruined your waste free efforts.
The bristles are a different conversation than the handle. You’ve got a few options, nylon, compostable, and charcoal infused. I learned that ‘fully compostable’ bamboo toothbrushes feature brushes with bristle using pig hair. I’m not going to get on a vegetarian soap box but it is something you should be aware of.
The bamboo toothbrushes from Eco Fella included in Green Giveaways are packaged in cardboard and numbered 1-4 which makes them easy to tell apart. I have also seen some bamboo toothbrushes with painted bottoms or colored bristles. Colorful bamboo toothbrushes enable you to compromise sustainability while keeping the pastels that make you smile.
After you brush, you floss! Well, at least you tell your dentist you do. Single use flossers are the bane of my existence (Sorry Dad). You’re supposed to wind and unwind floss so you’re putting clean parts of the floss in between your teeth.
Plus, I once saw an instagram account that exclusively posts flossers they find littered on the street #Flossgate. Then I found a Boston Globe article discussing the same issue. So let’s just stop it with the flossers. Boo.
Not to depress you, but the floss we’re using isn’t going away. Floss is usually made of nylon which sticks around.
What is the green alternative? Dental floss sometimes called lace made of plastic free silk! Why do I say plastic free? Because some brands slip some plastic in to make it strong which is defeating the purpose of making the switch,
Silk is biodegradable. Plus, you can find it with recyclable plastic or glass packaging. Many brands let you purchase the initial container which has the feeder and cutter and get refills from then on out. Talk about waste free!
Making greener choices with your next dental purchases will give you plenty to smile about.
Sincerely, Sarah Ryan 