Designed to safeguard the health of occupants and visitors, our office includes measures that are beneficial to our patients, staff and community through:

Improved Air Quality

• Our specially designed heating and cooling systems provide the cleanest air possible with a fresh-air exchange feature and C02 sensors.
• We selected only the most environmentally friendly materials for our office. Our custom dental cabinetry was constructed locally with 100% pre-consumer recycled wood fiber particleboard that had no urea formaldehyde added during the manufacturing process. Additionally, all paints, floor finishes, adhesives and furniture/fabrics were selected for their sustainable properties.

Elimination of Toxic Materials

• We are a mercury-free office. Often referred to as “silver fillings”, amalgam dental restorations consist of mercury, silver, tin, copper, and zinc. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, and can damage cells even small amounts. Our staff has been trained to safely remove these fillings and we use a highly specialized pump/evacuation filtration system which ensures the safe disposal of this hazardous material.
• Our digital panoramic X-ray unit eliminates the need for film processing and exposes patients to up to 85% less radiation than a standard X-ray system.
• Our housekeeping staff uses only natural cleaning products.
• We have eliminated the use of latex gloves in our office and have found nitrile gloves to be a safer alternative. Latex gloves release latex powder into the air that can cause people to develop latex allergies or create negative reactions in those who are already allergic.

Waste Reduction

• Our commitment to waste reduction is evident in the use of reclaimed items that add charm and character to our space. Take a seat in our consultation room at the table fashioned from a former industrial sewing-machine base and a slab of bowling-alley flooring. All around our office, you’ll find a multitude of old objects and materials transformed into practical and delightful new applications.
• Rarely utilized in dental offices, an alcohol hand rub in patient rooms eliminates the need for medical grade sinks, faucets, water, soap and paper towels. Conservative estimates show that this will save 360 paper towels and 90 gallons of water each day in our practice! Data from the Center for Disease Control show that the hand rub also reduces the number of bacteria more effectively than washing with soap and water.

Energy and Water Efficiency

• Our office utilizes highly efficient lighting and occupancy sensors for energy savings.
• We have installed low-flow fixtures, ENERGY STAR appliances and sensor-operated faucets. Our dry-evacuation system is a dental technology that uses no water – a huge savings compared to a traditional system that consumes approximately one gallon per minute.
• Mint Dental Works purchases renewable power from PGE. With Portland General Electric’ (PGE) Green Source Plan, approximately 50% of the electricity we purchase comes from new wind sources, 40% from new geothermal sources and 10% from new biomass (wood waste) power.