Dentist builds new office with green in mind

When people think of the dentist most envision bright white teeth, but one local dentist is thinking green. Dr. Gray Bailey is embracing the green initiative and joining Louisiana in building back greener.

Bailey’s family dental practice, Absolute Quality Care, narrowly escaped a multitude of fallen trees following the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike and like many businesses across Louisiana was faced with extensive property damage and debris.

 “I’m a conservationist”, Bailey said. “I couldn’t let all these beautiful trees go to waste.”

In an effort to create something positive out of the devastation and support his community he utilized the uprooted native trees, local contractors and materials manufactured within the state to build his new dental office.

   Now, Bailey and his team invite everyone to come by and visit their new state of the art facility. A Grand Opening Open House is scheduled Friday June 25 from 3-6 p.m.

  “We reclaimed and milled  the inspected lumber to make the framework, fine cabinetry, trim and flooring for our new high-tech facility.,” Bailey said. “Our community has pulled together over the years to create something positive and we wanted our practice to represent that. The natural characteristics in the wood cannot be recreated in any manufactured product in commercial stores. One of my cabinet doors has buckshot in it from some long ago hunter that missed his prey and hit one of the trees. We left the lead shot in the door, so everyone can see it.”

Now, Bailey and his team invite everyone to come by and visit their new state of the art facility. A Grand Opening Open House is scheduled Friday June 25 from 3-6 p.m.

   Anyone bringing a non-patient will be included in a grand prize drawing for an iPod. The facility is located on the corner of Hwy 42 and John Broussard at 38384 Hwy 42 in Prairieville. For more information about building back greener or Absolute Quality Care contact Joyce at 225-673-9535.

    Absolute Quality Care’s new facility is not only building back greener they are striving to go green throughout the facility and patient care. Advancements in dentistry have allowed dental care to become safer for the patients and the environment. Traditional x-rays are now replaced with digital x-ray, which Baily said have 90 percent less radiation and do not use toxic chemicals for development or toxic packaging.

  Digital technology has also expanded into faster dental treatments. CEREC is an example of this technology’s green effect. Instead of multiple visits to restore a decayed tooth, CEREC technology allows patients the convenience of having a dental crown made in one visit, eliminating the additional dental materials used to create temporary restorations and packaging. Bailey has planned to go paperless as well.