Sustainable Dental Practices: Reducing Waste and Energy

Environmental sustainability is an urgent global challenge, and the healthcare sector, including dentistry, plays a significant role in contributing to ecological burdens through waste generation, high energy consumption, and reliance on single-use materials. Dental practices consume substantial water and electricity, produce hazardous waste such as mercury from amalgam restorations and radiography chemicals, and depend heavily on plastics for infection control, all of which impact the environment. This article reviews sustainable dental practices with a focus on waste reduction, energy conservation, water management, and eco-friendly procurement. Strategies such as digital radiography, amalgam separators, reusable instruments, dry vacuum systems, LED lighting, and biodegradable packaging are discussed as effective approaches to lowering dentistry’s environmental footprint. Adoption of these practices not only mitigates pollution and reduces carbon emissions but also offers economic advantages by lowering operational costs, enhancing patient trust, and aligning with global frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, several barriers hinder widespread adoption, including the high cost of transitioning to green technologies, lack of professional awareness, regulatory constraints, and resistance to change among practitioners. The article highlights future directions that emphasize sustainability-focused dental education, policy advocacy, innovation in biodegradable dental materials, and certification programs to encourage eco-friendly practices. Ultimately, sustainable dentistry represents both a professional responsibility and an opportunity to integrate environmental stewardship into oral healthcare, ensuring long-term benefits for patients, practitioners, and the planet.