Sustainable oral healthcare and the environment: mitigation strategies

Martín, Nicolás; Smith, Lucy; Mulligan, Steven

doi:10.12968/denu.2021.48.7.524

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Education is considered as the fundamental component of any remediation strategy, with a focus on increasing awareness and identifying remediation solutions for each sector and for the supply chain as a whole 14,15 . Effective education programmes should include communication, dissemination and participation at all levels 16,17 .…”

Section: Sustainability Awareness Through Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Sustainability: The Attitudes and Experiences of UK Students in the Oral Health Profession

Durnall,

Mulligan

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Objective: This study aims to provide further clarity and detail into the students’ attitudes and review towards Environmental Sustainability in Dentistry (ESD) in the provision of oral healthcare. Also, the manner and extent in which ESD is included in the current undergraduate Oral Healthcare Professional curricula. This study focuses on the perspective of undergraduate dental students [Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)] and dental hygiene and therapy students [Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy (DH&DT)] from UK dental schools, as a national representative case study. Methods: A multi-centre study, cross sectional online survey of undergraduate BDS and DH&DT students in UK based dental schools. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: 263 students from thirteen UK schools completed the survey, resulting in a national school response rate of 68.4%, showing a strong representation of this student population across the UK. Key findings are: 97.3% of students believe that the dental profession should be more actively engaged in environmental sustainability, however students currently having very little exposure to ESD at an undergraduate level. 76.8% of students expressed that they are concerned about the impact that oral healthcare provision has on the environment, but only 23% of students have independently researched ESD. 46.4% believe that ‘The provision of oral healthcare is my priority as a clinician and this has unavoidable environmental consequences that we need accept’. Students were clearly concerned about the impact of the addition of ESD into the curricula would have on their studies and progression. There is very little student-reported inclusion of ESD in the school curricula. Notwithstanding, students identified the importance of ESD in the profession and the need for this to be included in their curricula, but were very apprehensive of the effect that this may have on their already congested course. Conclusions: Students identify that our oral healthcare professions should become more engaged in efforts to mitigate the negative impacts from our activities on the environment. The main way this can be achieved is through education at all levels. The strong insight into student’s level of awareness and concerns for the impact of oral healthcare provision on the environment is a powerful driver for the inclusion of ESD into the undergraduate curriculum in UK based dental schools. There is clearly identified need for schools to include ESD in the curriculum in a seamless and fully integrated manner so that it does not create a further burden to learning and teaching.

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Section: Sustainability Awareness Through Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Sustainability: The Attitudes and Experiences of UK Students in the Oral Health Profession

Durnall,

Mulligan

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…End-users are generally considered to be poorly engaged in sustainable practices, but this is not quantified. There is a need to change behaviour at home and at the workplace [8,32]. Within this low level of awareness in the oral healthcare sector, there is a wide range between different challenges in different world regions, each with its own specific challenges.…”

Section: Stakeholdersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The additional PPE required during the COVID-19 pandemic increased this figure to approximately 2.4 billion SUP items (27 tonnes) in the UK. Further studies of this type are required in alternative settings to obtain a clear baseline and to help inform remediation strategies [32,38,45]. Recycling as a basis for a business model is a significant challenge that needs resolving.…”

Section: Awareness and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, SUPs fulfil all the major requirements of a risk-averse industry that operates within very tight budgetary constraints and tight regulatory frameworks. The inherent versatility, safety and low cost of SUPs is also its downfall as it is a major contributor to a highly wasteful linear economy resulting from their end-of-life fate [32,45]. There is a recognition that the reliance on SUPs creates a wasteful linear economy, with a need to reduce their use and reliance on fossil-based constituents.…”

Section: Plastic Packaging and Single-use Plastics (Sups)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Consensus on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare A Joint Stakeholder Statement

Martín¹,

Mulligan²,

Shellard³

et al. 2022

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The Oral Healthcare community, including clinical professionals and industry, acknowledges the shared responsibility to deliver products and interventions that improve oral health in a more sustainable manner. To deliver this, the community is working in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Key to establishing this collaborative stakeholder consensus is a deep contextual understanding of the challenge. This is achieved through a comprehensive account of the levels of awareness of the environmental impacts, the challenges to resolve these impacts together with the drivers and opportunities to promote sustainable practices. This report concludes with a strategic action framework that makes specific recommendations and identifies best practice to achieve these goals. The promotion of excellent oral healthcare and the development of a circular economy are core to this strategy. Additionally, it is also important to recognise the opportunities to collaborate across the sector, and throughout supply chains, to develop and promote sustainable practices to achieve meaningful and measurable environmental outcomes in the sector. In this context, the FDI World Dental Federation convened the development of this volume, Consensus on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare: A Joint Stakeholder Statement. This consensus statement brings together a global coalition of stakeholders, representing all aspects of industry, health professionals, experts, legislative authorities and governments. The statement uses a truly collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to identify the major challenges facing oral healthcare, the complex drivers that underpin current behaviours and practices, and the best opportunities to improve and deliver sustainable oral healthcare for people and the planet. Concluding with an impactful and robust strategic action plan that crosses all boundaries, the statement identifies a series of actions and recommendations for best practice that address the sustainability issues facing the whole sector. Written by The University of Sheffield colleagues Prof Nicolas Martin, Dr Steven Mulligan, Hon. Prof Ian J Shellard and Prof Paul V Hatton, Consensus on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare: A Joint Stakeholder Statement is the result of a collaborative working partnership between the FDI-Sustainability in Dentistry Task Team and the project founding partners (Colgate-Palmolive, Dentsply Sirona, Haleon, Procter & Gamble and TePe) with the wide participation of stakeholders throughout the oral healthcare supply chain.

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“…These all add a considerable environmental impact that should not be ignored but is outside the scope of this paper. 8,9 The aim of this report is to provide a comprehensive review of the potential pollutant risk to the environment from the chemical compounds found in resin-based restorative materials, by considering: 1) the principal pollutant compounds present in the resin matrix; 2) the degradation process of RBCs and its consequences; 3) the methods used for the detection and quantification of monomer eluants and microparticles; and 4) a review of the release mechanisms of eluants and microparticles into the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resin-based composite materials: elution and pollution

2022

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Pollution arises from all human activity and the provision of oral healthcare using resin-based composite restorative materials (RBCs) should be considered. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the potential pollutant risk to the environment from the chemical compounds found in resin-based restorative materials, by including: 1) the principal pollutant compounds present in the resin matrix; 2) the degradation process of RBCs and its consequences; 3) the methods used for the detection and quantification of monomer elution and RBC microparticles; and 4) a review of the release mechanisms of eluates and RBC microparticles into the environment.RBCs are pollutants by virtue of the compounds created during the degradation processes. These are in the form of the constituent eluted monomers and microparticles. Their impact on the environment and biodiversity is unknown. These materials are currently one of the main direct-placement restorative materials and their success is unquestionable when used and maintained correctly. Mitigation strategies for reducing the impact of pollution on the environment should be considered and implemented by all stakeholders and processes in the supply chain, from manufacturing, clinical use and waste management.

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Sustainable oral healthcare and the environment: mitigation strategies

Cited by 10 publications

References 14 publications

Environmental Sustainability: The Attitudes and Experiences of UK Students in the Oral Health Profession

Environmental Sustainability: The Attitudes and Experiences of UK Students in the Oral Health Profession

Consensus on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare A Joint Stakeholder Statement

Resin-based composite materials: elution and pollution

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