Bye-Bye Microbeads

New Haven Family Dentist on the Bead Ban  

Have you ever walked out of the office of your New Haven family dentist following an amazing teeth whitening treatment and wondered: “How can I maintain this vibrant shade over time?”

Well, for many patients, upkeep means the collaboration of a bunch of strategies. Most of these being focused on a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water and, of course, brushing your teeth at least twice a day! To help with the latter part of that regimen, patients will often purchase specialized teeth whitening toothpaste from the store to maintain their vibrant shade.

For years, these popular whitening pastes have been available either in 1 of 2 varieties: being inclusive of microbeads or not. Microbeads are the tiny dots in the paste that scrub the surface stains from the teeth. The problem with these beads is that they do not biodegrade properly when they get flushed down the sink. So little bits of plastic accumulate in our water ways and impact everything that interacts with that water, from fish up to humans, over time.

Because of this, legislation was recently passed that makes all manufacturers stop using microbeads altogether by 2017. To read more on this topic- you can click here http://www.newsweek.com/united-states-just-banned-microbeads-those-tiny-plastic-disasters-your-face-410617

But wait! Before you go rushing out to your local drug store to buy a new replacement paste, make sure to consult your dentist on what the best choice is for you! Schedule an appointment with Horizon Dental Group today by calling (203) 859-5239.