Are you ready to join a dental evolution?
About the book
The Sustainable Dentist's book features information on socially responsible business practices.
We’re living in a new era — one where people are more socially conscious and seek dentists who can not only treat their oral health but also do it in a way that benefits society. Becoming a sustainable dentist isn’t a gimmick or a fad. It’s part of an evolution of all-inclusive thinking that not only benefits patients but also the environment. Also, it enhances your financial bottom line. It’s a part of an emerging lifestyle whose broader focus includes furthering the greater good of society. You will not be able to ignore it as we move forward into the New Normal; it will require finding new safety procedures and practices to deal with crises like global pandemics and the challenges of climate change.
In this exciting and innovative book, you will learn about the benefits of becoming a Sustainable Dentist! Wherever you are in the process, this book provides:
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About the authors
Beverly Oviedo-Allison is the originator of the ASTM Standard Practice for Managing Sustainability in Dentistry (E3014-15). Her contributions to sustainability leadership and management are numerous. Beverly created the first Sustainable Hospitality Symposium on the central coast of California, 2010. Ms. Oviedo was the US representative and secretary for the PC 250 Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Committee, which created the event standard for the 2012 Olympic Games in London (Event Standard ISO20121). Beverly has been a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals’ task force for creating a certification program for sustainability professionals.
In 2018, as a founder of H K Allison Projects for Sustainability, she organized the first Global Conference for Managing Sustainability in Dentistry in Reykjavik, Iceland. She holds an M.S. in Instructional Science and Technology from California State University, Monterey Bay and is a graduate of the Presidio Graduate School in Sustainability Management, San Francisco, California.
Dr. Marylou Shockley is the Chair of the College of Business and the Professor of Management and International Business at California State University, Monterey Bay, where she has taught since 2006. Her focuses include management, leadership, diversity, and corporate governance from a social responsibility perspective. In addition to many scholarly articles, Dr. Shockley is the co-author of Diversity: New Realities in a Changing World. She earned her Ph.D. at Oxford University in the Said School of Business. Marylou also holds an M.S. degree in Business from Stanford University as a Sloan Fellow. She received her MBA from the University of Southern California.
Christopher Oviedo, DDS MS is a researcher and writer on sustainability topics. He passionately advocates for sustainable business models that emphasize the well-being of all stakeholders while taking care of the planet. He is a member of ASTM International standards committee which produced the first global standard practice E3014-15 for Managing Sustainability in Dentistry Professionally, Chris is a Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics and earned a Doctoral Degree w/ Honors while at the University of the Pacific. His Master’s Degree in Craniofacial Biology is from USC. In January 2020, Chris opened his orthodontic practice in San Francisco. He is a member of the Board of Directors of H K Allison Projects for Sustainability.
Frequently asked questions
- What is The Sustainable Dentist about?
- We’re living in an era when people are more socially conscious and seek dentists who can not only treat their oral health but also do it in a way that benefits society. This book is written to guide the dental industry to adopt sustainability as a part of all-inclusive thinking that not only benefits patients but also the environment. The Sustainable Dentist shares how dentists can join this emerging lifestyle whose broader focus includes furthering the greater good of society. Dentists and orthodontists will not be able to ignore adopting sustainable practices as we move forward into the New Normal; it will require finding new safety procedures and practices to deal with crises like global pandemics and the challenges of climate change.
- What does it mean to be a sustainable dentist?
- In the context of the dental (and orthodontic) organization, sustainability means: delivering excellent patient care; providing an accessible and inclusive setting for all; providing a safe and healthy office environment; making every effort to minimize impacts on the environment; communicating healthy living habits; actively pursuing responsible sourcing; educating and modeling a sustainable practice; and ensuring financial health and stability. In terms of the New Normal it illustrates how to create “Virus-Secure” zones to protect not only the health and wellbeing of patients, but also the staff that treat them.
- What is a “virus-secure” zone as applied to a dental practice and sustainability?
- The New Normal includes health practitioners and dentists applying updated standards and practices to become better custodians of public health and safety. Dentists can add "virus-secure zones" to sustainable practices to attract even more patients. These dental practices are using virus-resistant construction materials, equipment, ways to handle things, and human behavioral changes to protect public health and safety.
- What benefits can dental practitioners expect to enjoy?
- The dental practice becomes more mindful of the importance of sustainability being integrated into everything they do and the suppliers they work with that share the same mindset. Views are shifting from sustainability as expensive, and a hassle to understanding that “greening-up” the business is not just about making money but is also an essential part of growing the business that aligns with its core values and does the right thing for society. It also gives practices a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors, as generations like the Millennials don’t just look for a generic family dentist, but one that serves the greater good of society.
- Why did you write the book?
- The origins of this book date back more than 35 years to the early 1980s. When Beverly Oviedo-Allison’s husband, a board-certified orthodontist, had a thriving dental practice, which she managed. She lived in Northern California, had just built her dream home, and had welcomed her second son into the world. A few months after moving into their new home, her family became gravely ill. At one point, they were diagnosed as being near death. The most important challenge she faced lied in coping with the symptoms they experienced and identifying the root cause of their unfolding nightmare. Turns out, materials used in the construction of their home’s water system were leaching trace metals into the water, which they were ingesting daily. Awakened to toxins' dangers in everyday life, they turned a critical eye on their dental practice – and this is how their journey into researching and applying sustainable practices began.