[FOCUS]The Plastic Problem With Your Toothbrush

ROB: 00:00:00

I'm an orthodontist.

ROB: 00:00:01

Uh, so I treat, , adults and children.

ROB: 00:00:04

So my main role is, uh, straightening teeth.

ROB: 00:00:06

We also get involved with, uh, tooth whitening as well.

ROB: 00:00:09

And I've been an orthodontist since 1997.

ROB: 00:00:12

So it's my 25th anniversary this year.

JENN: 00:00:17

Congrats.

JENN: 00:00:20

So

JENN: 00:00:21

what is the biggest thing that you're noticing and what is your

JENN: 00:00:24

pet peeve in this whole thing?

ROB: 00:00:26

I suppose one of my things that worries me most , is the toothbrush

ROB: 00:00:31

issue because people are changing their toothbrush on a, quite a regular basis.

ROB: 00:00:37

, , some people are changing their toothbrush every three months, every

ROB: 00:00:39

six months and, that's needed.

ROB: 00:00:41

So there's a need for people to keep , their mouth healthy.

ROB: 00:00:44

And so that's my prime role, but, uh, I feel terrible that, uh, this.

ROB: 00:00:49

So many toothbrushes are made outta plastic.

ROB: 00:00:51

That's the bristles , and the handles.

ROB: 00:00:53

And there are, there are alternatives there.

ROB: 00:00:56

, and so bamboo is one of the, , materials that's used a lot in toothbrushes.

ROB: 00:01:01

And I, I would like to have some part in changing that.

ROB: 00:01:05

Uh, but having invested in some bamboo toothbrushes, there isn't

ROB: 00:01:09

really that much of a market for them.

ROB: 00:01:10

So people.

ROB: 00:01:12

Necessarily buying them.

ROB: 00:01:13

So we do point it out.

ROB: 00:01:14

And, we mention it to our patients and slowly people are starting , to buy them.

ROB: 00:01:19

But, if you buy toothbrushes, even if you buy bamboo ones, you

ROB: 00:01:23

still have to be careful because.

ROB: 00:01:26

If you want to completely get rid of plastics, sometimes the

ROB: 00:01:29

bristles are still made of plastic, even with the BR bamboo handles.

ROB: 00:01:32

And sometimes the, the bristles are made out of animal hair as well.

ROB: 00:01:36

So that's another thing , to look out for, and it's not always made that

ROB: 00:01:40

obvious in the product information.

ROB: 00:01:42

So, , again at the moment, I think that, , there, there are companies

ROB: 00:01:44

doing these things, but until it really scales up, uh, we have a

ROB: 00:01:48

problem of supply and demand really.

JENN: 00:01:50

I always use bamboo toothbrushes.

JENN: 00:01:52

And I also use that dental lace that you, you pop the refill

JENN: 00:01:57

into a glass, uh, little.

JENN: 00:02:00

Holder that has the, the cutter for the lace.

JENN: 00:02:03

and so when I go to the dentist, I always, say, no thanks when they

JENN: 00:02:07

try to give me stuff at the end of the appointment, because I.

JENN: 00:02:12

Getting it myself, but it's a lot more expensive, you know, when you

JENN: 00:02:15

can get a free toothbrush and dental floss from the dentist at your six

JENN: 00:02:20

month or eight month appointment, , it's more expensive to spend $5 or

JENN: 00:02:24

whatever it is on a bamboo toothbrush.

JENN: 00:02:26

And then the dental lace and the dental lace is also, it breaks really easily.

JENN: 00:02:32

So there are definitely some areas that could be improved in

JENN: 00:02:35

the, the natural replacements.

JENN: 00:02:38

I think.

ROB: 00:02:38

And I, I think that if patients want to do something that they

ROB: 00:02:41

can talk to their dentist and say, why don't you provide these?

ROB: 00:02:45

And just put that bit of information inside the dentist's head to make

ROB: 00:02:50

them start thinking about, Hmm, maybe I should look and see what is there,

ROB: 00:02:54

but it comes down again to, um, a supply and demand thing that if.

ROB: 00:02:58

I was actually offered by a company to have some bamboo

ROB: 00:03:02

brushes at one pound each, but I would have to buy 10,000 of them.

ROB: 00:03:08

and storage wise,

ROB: 00:03:11

we could realize stuck for years and years if we weren't selling them.

ROB: 00:03:14

So it just, it, it just didn't make sense to do that, but, uh,

ROB: 00:03:18

we are waiting and I think it it's a reasonable thing at some stage.

ROB: 00:03:20

If there is the market.

Leekei: 00:03:22

But what about the, the regulations because , it's

Leekei: 00:03:25

a non fact that it's made of plastic and it's not recyclable.

Leekei: 00:03:29

And so is there any lobby that works towards, , making it illegal?

LYNN: 00:03:37

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