Sustainability through excellence in oral health care

The provision and maintenance of optimal oral health care results in good oral health care outcomes and a reduction of environmental impact.

There is a growing desire from the dental profession to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment.  This is matched with confusion as to what we can do as individuals that are truly meaningful and impactful.  Efforts to reduce the pollution impact from dentistry on the environment must focus on a strategy of reduction alongside any recycling capabilities.

We will consider the ability of the dental profession to have a noticeable impact on the environment by striving to deliver optimal oral health, with sustainability being an unintended consequence.  We will review the impact on the environment of Single Use Plastics from dental materials and their associated packaging and consider effective strategies of recovery and recycling.

Learning objectives:

Develop an understanding of:

• The impact of dentistry and related activities on the environment.
• The challenges associated with managing the environmental impact.
• The ability for the dental profession to have a positive impactful effect on the environment through the pursuit of excellence in oral and dental health care.

Release date: 2021-09-09 | Expiration date: 2024-09-09