Aspen Dental Hosts Earth Day 2010 Clean-Ups From Coast To Coast

SYRACUSE, N.Y., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 500 people representing 56 Aspen Dental offices participated in clean-up efforts across 15 states from Maine to Washington in recognition of Earth Day, volunteering more than 1,000 hours to improve their local communities. Members of Aspen Dental's "Smile Squad" contributed in a variety of ways, from removing trash and debris to planting flowers, trees and grass in local parks and areas surrounding Aspen Dental offices.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and is the third year that offices from across the Aspen Dental network and the company's Practice Support Center in Syracuse, NY have participated in Earth Day events.

"The level of enthusiasm and engagement from the Smile Squad demonstrates that employees have embraced our sustainability initiatives and are committed to improving the communities in which they live and work," said Robert Fontana, president and CEO of Aspen Dental Management, Inc. "While support for Earth Day is the most visible aspect of our green initiative, our commitment goes much deeper than that, from pursuing greener building standards and investing in more eco-friendly technologies to looking for ways to consume fewer materials and create less waste."

Aspen Dental was one of several companies featured in "Going Green," the cover story in the April 2010 issue of Inside Dentistry that focuses on what dental companies and practices are doing to help protect the environment. To learn more about this growing trend and how Aspen Dental is doing its part, visit http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=33986.

How Aspen Dental is Going Green

The Aspen Dental Practice Support Center in East Syracuse, NY, which opened in August 2006, was built with sound environmental practices in mind and to meet LEED certification requirements. Features of the Support Center include: high-efficiency, low-energy lighting using T-4 light bulbs; special roof membrane — white, rather than black membrane helps reflect heat and sun to reduce cooling costs; high efficiency heat pumps provide cooling in summer and heating in winter; tinted, low-E windows; low-VOC paint; along with furniture & carpeting that meets LEED certification standards.

Aspen Dental has taken a similar approach to local office construction. Its more than 235 dental practices in 20 states feature low-wattage overhead lighting; a dry vacuum system for suction equipment vs. traditional wet ring vacuum systems that use as much as 800 gallons of water a day; and oil-less air compressors used to operate dental instruments. Aspen Dental has also moved from the use of neon in facility channel signage to more energy-efficient LED lighting.

Further, Aspen Dental offices utilize digital radiography, which requires 70 percent less radiation than traditional film x-rays, uses less energy, and eliminates the use of developing fluids that are harmful to the environment and the by-products generated by film processing.

About Aspen Dental

One of the largest and fastest-growing providers of denture and dental care services in the U.S., Aspen Dental practices are committed to providing patients with affordable, high-quality care under the Aspen Dental brand.

Aspen Dental is nationally accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and maintains an A+ rating with the BBB Reliability Report.

Aspen Dental has grown from 13 offices and three states in 1998 to more than 235 locations in 20 states. More than 350 licensed dentists and 200 dental hygienists work with Aspen Dental throughout Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

In 2009, Aspen Dental recorded more than 1.5 million patient visits, including visits from more than 340,000 new patients.

Aspen Dental doctors and staff help meet the demand for high-quality, yet affordable denture and dental services by offering convenient retail locations, extended hours, affordable fees and a wide range of payment plan options. The offices work with all insurance plans.

For more information about Aspen Dental and the services it provides, please www.aspendent.com. To learn more about careers at Aspen Dental, please visit www.aspendentaljobs.com.

SOURCE Aspen Dental