One of the first things that caught my attention during the initial classes in the clinical rooms was the presence of numerous items of medical waste – mostly consisting of non-recyclable and non-biodegradable types of plastic.
And yet the UN resolution adopted in 2015 speaks clearly about the need for sustainable development by 2030: "We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of present and future generations."
How can waste production be reduced?
Work in the practice and university summer placements confirmed my conviction about the non-ecological nature of the whole process. That was when the question arose: how can waste production in the dental industry be reduced?
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times. The production of plastic creates a very large carbon footprint – starting from the extraction and distillation of oil, through the forming of the material, to transport to all markets. This whole process emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, pushing our planet towards a rise in temperature, which is a threat to many species of animals and plants. It is also a great threat to people – the effects of global warming will be severe droughts caused by a shortage of water, and climate disasters. These changes may be irreversible if we do not focus in time on joint efforts for our common home – the Earth.
The intraoral scanner and ecology
In the first place we should set ourselves the principle of not wasting products – both in private life and in dentistry. New technologies open up interesting alternatives on the road to sustainable development. A good example is, where possible, using an intraoral scanner on patients instead of traditional impressions taken with impression materials. This limits both the amount of waste produced by the practice and the production of the materials themselves (a reduction of the carbon footprint).
Modern sterilisation and ecology
Dental practices should carefully select their material suppliers, paying attention to production methods, the origin of raw materials and plastics, and the company's environmental policy. It is also worth striving for a life-cycle analysis (LCA) of medical products – thanks to this it is easier to build environmentally friendly practices, based on the shortest possible environmental decomposition time of products.
Another important point is the device for sterilising instruments, i.e. the autoclave. In order to sterilise equipment correctly, autoclaves draw a significant amount of energy and water converted into steam. It seems appropriate to acquire a high-quality autoclave, of good power and properties and at the same time with a low environmental impact in terms of energy and water consumption. It is worth paying attention to the power draw and water consumption per cycle.
Renewable energy sources
Since dental practices draw a significant amount of electricity (dental units, autoclave, lighting, etc.), it is worth considering the use of renewable energy sources. Thanks to this, the share of energy produced from coal can be reduced in favour of clean energy from renewables, and within a few years such an investment has a chance of paying off.
A high-quality amalgam separator – a device that catches and retains alloy particles from amalgam fillings present in wastewater – makes it possible to be sure that toxic particles are not released into the environment. A simpler but important action is the proper sorting of waste, e.g. separating paper from film in sterilisation pouches.
Electronic medical records
Another proposal is to abandon the paper form of medical records in favour of a digital version. This way of managing the practice saves a lot of paper and reduces the space needed to store documents. Let us also remember that an eco-sensible way of getting to the dentist is, where possible, to choose public transport instead of the car.
Studies
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The impact of switching from single-use to reusable healthcare products: a transparency checklist and systematic review of life-cycle assessments
Keil M., Viere T., Helms K., Rogowski W. (2023) · European Journal of Public Health · systematic review of life-cycle assessments
Reusable products often have a smaller environmental footprint than single-use ones, but the result depends on energy, transport, sterilisation and the number of uses. Environmental decisions should rest on the full life cycle, not only on waste mass.
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Environmental sustainability in endodontics. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of a root canal treatment procedure
Duane B., Borglin L., Pekarski S., Saget S., Duncan H. F. (2020) · BMC Oral Health · life-cycle assessment in dentistry
An analysis of root canal treatment indicated that patient and staff travel, energy use and materials account for a large share of the environmental footprint. Reducing the impact requires systemic change while safety standards are maintained.