The Eco-Dentistry Association's "Featured Member"
www.ecodentistry.org
Dr. Steven Koos, DDS MD is leading the way with the concept of sustainability among dental specialists in the United States. He is a dual-degreed, board certified oral and Maxillofacial surgeon who has not only built the first green Oral surgery practice in the nation, but also is the first to practice green healthcare. The combination of these features at Dr. Koos’ LEED certified office - ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, located at 1827 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, is truly unique to dentistry and medicine as a whole.
ORA® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio is a state-of-the-art healing facility that was designed from the ground up to be free of persistent bio-accumulative toxins, volatile organic compounds, and other harmful chemicals that are commonly found throughout the dental and medical industry. Some of ORA®’s landmark achievements include the elimination/non-use of PVC, DEHP, Bisphenol A, Bis-GMA, brominated flame retardants, latex, lead, hazardous sterilization chemicals and mercury. In addition, ORA® is the first dental facility to generate ZERO bio-hazardous waste, which means they completely avoid the harmful incineration of this toxic material into the environment.
For Dr. Koos, the delivery of green healthcare has become “a mission that requires a commitment for constant collaboration with other like-minded clinicians and organizations in order to share ideas and re-think the many conventional practices within the industry that are wasteful.” Dr. Koos is a member of the Advisory Board of the Eco Dentistry Association, the United States Green Building Council, an official endorser of the Green Guide for Health Care and has partnered with the World Health Organization, Health Care Without Harm, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. Dr. Koos is also a recent graduate of the 2009 Leadership in Green Healthcare curriculum offered by the Teleosis Institute.
“Wellness-based dental care has always been at the essence of my practice, but I have expanded this concept to embrace the mantra - what is good for the planet is good for the patient”, says Dr. Koos. Whether it be the removal of wisdom teeth, corrective jaw surgery, or the placement of dental implants, “an eco-friendly, minimally invasive treatment philosophy that upholds the Precautionary Principle is what guides the care our team delivers every day.”
