With dentistry being recognized as one of the healthcare industries with the highest energy and resource consumption, eco-friendly dentistry has gained popularity over the years due to the pressing global need to care for our planet. Considering the ecological impact of traditional dentistry, mainly through waste generation and water consumption, eco-friendly dentistry, whether it’s in the scope of routine dental work or emergency dental care, allows us to prioritize the health of both patients and the planet through sustainable practices and materials.
But what is eco dentistry exactly? According to the Eco Dentistry Association, eco dentistry is defined as “a high-tech approach that reduces the environmental impact of dental practices and encompasses a service model for dentistry that supports and maintains wellness.” To elaborate further, in the article below, we will delve into the details of some eco-friendly dental practices and the benefits they can have for us and the planet.
Eco-Friendly Dental Practices
1- Material Selection and Usage
It is no secret to us all that dentistry procedures include using a lot of instruments and materials, thus generating a large amount of waste that can be detrimental to the environment.
Therefore, recycling and or reusing some of these materials is the first action plan that comes to one’s mind. Below are some of the dental materials that can be recycled and or reused:
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Dental alloys: When making crowns and bridges, denture frameworks, and so on using the casting technique, around half of the metal alloys used go to waste. Luckily, though, the remaining material can be reused to fabricate new restorations or even tools used in the engineering field. By recycling these alloys, mining work required to extract these minerals is reduced, which in turn reduces pollution.
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Dental waxes: Many different types of waxes are used in dentistry for various purposes, including modeling and casting. The good news is that 80 to 90% of the wax that is only used and not consumed can be recycled, thereby saving a lot of earth resources since a lot of that wax is natural and animal wax.
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Amalgam: The topic of amalgam toxicity for human health and the environment is one of the most widely debated topics in green dentistry, considering the mercury it contains. The good news is that silver and mercury particles can be recovered from amalgam scrapes that are discarded in dentistry faculties and clinics by simple lab procedures and used in many other industrial areas.
On another note aside from all the dental materials that can be recycled and reused that we did not mention like dental alginate, gypsum plaster, and so on, comes the issue of single-use plastics.
In fact, just like in oral healthcare at home, the clinical dental setting is one where a considerable amount of plastic waste is produced, whether it’s through plastic cups, single-use suction tips, single-use bibs, and the list goes on.
Thankfully, some of these have stainless steel sterilizable alternatives, and the others can be sent to recycling plants or even broken down into nutrients for the soil, like oxy-biodegradable options.
2- Waste Management:
Another aspect of green dentistry is undoubtedly the implementation of waste reduction strategies, which was very briefly indirectly mentioned in the preceding paragraph when we talked about the reusable sterilizable alternatives to some single-use instruments.
Another quite important example of the importance of waste management would be dental x-ray films, which contain unreacted silver that is toxic to the environment. Knowing that these films can be recycled and the silver extracted is comforting, but green dentistry has also gone the extra mile by replacing these films with more advanced X-ray techniques that do not involve the use of any single-use films, computerizing the whole process with digital radiography. One less hazardous waste to worry about!
Talking about hazardous waste, it is also of major importance to properly dispose of it, whether we are talking about needles, syringes, and other toxic products and materials, there are specific organisms like Green Lights Environmental in Canada that handle this waste as medical waste ensuring it does not end up in landfills endangering both human and nature health.
3- Energy and Water Conservation:
Last but not least, another way in which eco-friendly dentistry has made significant improvements is the enhancement of dental equipment making them even more energy-efficient. Lowering energy consumption by energy-saving mechanisms for all rotary instruments and lighting, alongside water-saving technologies through low-flow fixtures for example, has made significant improvements in that matter.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Dentistry
When it comes to the benefits of eco-friendly dentistry, the list can be long if we delve into the details. But to be brief and concise, these benefits can be categorized into two sections:
Green dentistry reduces exposure to toxic substances by substituting traditional disinfectants with biodegradable ones and amalgam fillings containing mercury and silver with resin composite restorative fillings. In this way, as in many others, eco-friendly dentistry prioritizes patients' health.
First and foremost, reducing the use of single-use plastics and other disposable items in the dental practice is one of the most impactful steps green dentistry activists have taken, reducing the carbon footprint of dental practices and thereby fighting climate change.
Also, replacing disposable items with reusable ones, whether we are talking about suction tubes, bibs, barrier sleeves, and so on, allows for the preservation of natural resources and the protection of the ecosystem and public health.
Conclusion
To sum up, there is still considerable room for more research and development in the field of green dentistry, especially with the continuously evolving technologies like digital dentistry, which have considerably reduced the need for a lot of single-use materials. With the main obstacles being the cost of such equipment and the lack of awareness, green dentistry still looks quite promising and is expected to have quite an effect on the environment in the coming years.
So, just like oral healthcare has become greener over the years by substituting traditional and purchasing more and more eco-friendly oral care products, dental clinics can also join the green initiative of an eco-friendly dental routine.
Author Biography
Dr. Suzanna Maria Sayegh is a Doctor of Dental Surgery with a Master’s in Esthetic and Prosthetic Dentistry, a Master’s in Research and Biomaterials, and a University Diploma in Oral Pathology.
As a practitioner in a private clinic and a Clinical Instructor at the university, she continuously pursues professional development opportunities to remain informed and knowledgeable about new dental practices and the latest technologies being considered or utilized.
Dr. Suzanna Maria is also an avid content writer, and crafts content ranging from blog posts to intricate scientific articles. She also collaborates with dental companies, lending her expertise to review technical documentation in the evolving landscape of digital dentistry.
