Sustainable oral healthcare and the environment : mitigation strategies

Carbon emissions and single-use plastics (SUPs) are the main forms of environmental pollution relating to waste arising from oral healthcare. Ownership of this problem is shared with the whole supply chain, from manufacturing to distribution, procurement, clinical use and finally, waste management. Mitigation strategies focus on the individual stakeholders in the supply chain, including the provision of clinical care. Key to this, is establishing a baseline analysis of the nature and the size of the problem through Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). Reduction of CO2 emissions, other associated environmental impacts, and plastic waste is considered through remote clinical consultations, recycling, patient education and the provision of high-quality care to achieve high impact environmentally sustainable outcomes.