TUSDM alum founds startup in effort to make dentistry more sustainable
Dental Entrepreneur interviewed Dr. Donnie Wiggins, D22, for an article titled How Dr. Donnie Wiggins is Bridging the Gap Between Sustainability and Dentistry.
A general dentist in New York City, Wiggins is also the CEO of Syber Biomaterials, a biotech company that develops biodegradable plastics. His business partners include Dr. Gerard Kugel, D85, professor emeritus for the Department of Comprehensive Care, and Dr. David Kaplan, professor for the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Early on, Wiggins noticed how much plastic waste was produced in dentistry. He soon learned that approximately 1 billion toothbrushes were thrown away each year. It was this statistic that inspired Wiggins into action. Wiggins’s initial goal for Syber Biomaterials was to bring environmentally friendly toothbrushes to the market but, as the problem of plastic waste extends far beyond the dental industry, his goal now is to replace all commodity plastics.
Congrats, Dr. Wiggins!