Volume 8 • 2021 • Issue 3

Dr. Andersen would like to see dentists become more engaged, to connect with like-minded dentists who are passionate about the environment. As far as she is concerned, health care professionals are not only accountable for the health of their patients, but also the health of the planet. LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS In the longer term, Dr. Andersen would like to see dentists become more engaged, to connect with like-minded dentists who are passionate about the environment. As far as she is concerned, health care professionals are not only accountable for the health of their patients, but also the health of the planet. Recent studies have shown that plastics are now passing through our bloodstream. We are eating, drinking and breathing microplastic and nanoplastic, and early indicators point towards significant health implications including cancer and infertility. “As doctors who want to do the best for our patients, how can we ignore this? It is part of our responsibility. We cannot separate the two things,” says Dr. Andersen. To this end, she has teamed up with fellow Ontario dentists and environmental advocates Dr. Susan Fulop and Dr. Laurie Houston to tackle the issue head on. Drs. Andersen and Fulop are also developing a new website ( greenerdentistry.com) where they will publish advice and solutions specifically for the dental profession. The website is scheduled to launch next year and Dr. Andersen hopes that through regular engagement Canadian dentists can become a leading light for positive change in the health care sector. why we are in the mess we are in today and is asking people to change. Because this dentist believes she can make a difference, and she’s decided to do something about it. She’s decided to change the way she thinks and she wants you to do the same. Gabriel Fulcher is digital content editor for CDA Oasis. He is an Ottawa-based writer who specializes in medical, scientific and health‑related content. The original version of this article appeared on CDA Oasis: bit.ly/32Mh6IF How can we ignore this? The question lingers long after our conversation has ended. Because this is everybody’s fault, right? It’s everybody’s fault and it’s everybody’s responsibility, and that’s part of the problem. We’ve come to think of ourselves as just one more person who doesn’t matter, who can’t make a difference to the 12 million tons of waste that ends up in the ocean every year. Dr. Andersen begs to differ. She suggests this is precisely I ssues and P eople 35 Issue 3 | 2021 |