Welcome to Fresno's first Green Dental Office.
1100 West Shaw Avenue, Suite 146
Fresno, California 93711
OFFICE 559.224.9925
FAX 559.224.4478
Our Mission
•To continue the tradition of a family-based, comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable dental practice through compassion, comfort, individualized care, and high technology.
•Dr. Doug Halloran is also committed to managing the oral health of special needs patients in an outpatient, hospital-based dental setting.
•To minimize the footprint that this dental practice has on the environment by constantly evaluating the sustainability and reusability of the materials that we use. This also includes constant evaluation of our use of disposables and waste generation. This is what I call the Ecology of Dentistry.
It seems that the current trends of "green" cars, "eco-friendly" products, "earth friendly" practices, and "sustainability" are here to stay. The industry of dentistry is no exception.
What is dentistry? The classic definition of dentistry is the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment (nonsurgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders, and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area, and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Isn't there more to dentistry than this? What about fear and anxiety, aging and systemic health, and guilt? What about dentistry's relationship with the environment, for example public water quality or waste generation?
In order to understand what I mean by the phrase "The Ecology of Dentistry™" it is essential to understand what is meant by the term "ecology." Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life (web of life) and the interactions between organisms and their environment. Therefore, The Ecology of Dentistry describes the interaction between dentistry and the environment.
Dentistry can be sustainable. We have to consider the future in our personal lives and in our work/professional lives. Sustainability simply means a balance of what we take form the planet and what the planet can give us.
Lets redefine Dentistry. At Halloran Dentistry, we practice what I prefer to call Integrative Dentistry. Integrative Dentistry is concerned with how we approach our patients, and how we approach our environment. It is a concept that requires dentistry, public (oral) health, and the environment to be in balance. Whay is this important? The world in which we live is losing its capacity to keep us healthy. My belief is that the field of dentistry and healthcare can provide the leadership necessary to foster a healthier environment, one that will allow us to be/live healthy today while letting others be/live healthy tomorrow.
The current dental mindset is a disposable mindset. This is bad for the environment and expensive. Recycling helps, but dental offices can do more. Below are some of the things we do at Halloran Dentistry to support The Ecology of Dentistry:
- think locally
- support local community efforts, for every new patient referred into the practice we donate $10 to either Tree Fresno or HOPE Animal Foundation
- art incorporation with local artists
- central inventory control
- ergonomic cabinetry and ergonomic dental operatory design
- encourage public transportation use and biking to work
- 100% recycled office products
- biodegradable pens/refillable pens/recycled pencils
- recycle ink jet cartridges
- soy based inks
- rechargeable batteries
- non-toxic earth-friendly cleaning products
- analyze reusables versus disposables
- reduce, recycle, reuse, rethink
- compost breakroom food wastes
- recognize the connection between human health and environmental health
- respect and recognize patients with special needs and the underserved
- believe in sustainable health and dental care
- purchase products from and supports environmentally responsible companies
- build green
- utilize Energy Star Appliances
- believe in technology
- digital radiography eliminating fixers and developers
- biodegradable cold sterilization
- cloth patient bibs and headrest covers
- recycled toothbrush program
- provide high quality, affordable dental care
Welcome to our practice.
Douglas R. Halloran, D.D.S.
