A dentist for treehuggers

Recently spotted in Berkeley, Transcendentist is the first eco-friendly dentist office in the United States. Certified by the Alameda County Green Business Program, the office practices ecologically sustainable dentistry — from serving organic chamomile tea to using amalgam separator filters to prevent mercury entering the environment. (Transcendentist doesn’t use amalgam, but does remove old fillings.) Transcendentist also uses digital imaging instead of x-rays, which means less radiation for patients and employees, and no need for the chemicals that are used to process x-rays. The eco approach extends to the rest of the office: non-toxic paint on the walls, chemical-free wool carpet and cloth headrest covers and bibs instead of paper disposables. Transcendentist was founded in 2003 by Fred and Ina Pockrass, with the aim of creating a calm and healing experience for clients. To this end, Transcendentist isn’t just environmentally friendly, but also incorporates elements of a spa. Every visit includes a foot massage, sound and colour therapy are used to soothe patients, and the office even has its own line of essence-infused, natural body products. Tibetan chimes and ‘discovering your inner smile’ may send some people running for a stern, old-fashioned dentist. But eco-dentistry makes sound business sense. When setting up their practice, the founders were told to not expect more than 10-15 new clients per month. Instead, they’ve been drawing between 30 and 40 new clients per month, with some months seeing as many as 60 new patients. (Source: Bay Area BusinessWoman.) Within the next two years, Transcendentist will be rolled out as a licensed business model. Time for a trip to the Bay Area to check it out? Spotted by: Frank Marquardt