Sustainability in the Dental Clinic

Why Go Green in Dentistry? 

Dental practices generate a high volume of waste that are significant contributors to environmental pollution, such as single-use plastics, disposable instruments, toxic waste (such as mercury), and packaging.  

To reduce the consequences of materials released into the environment on our climate, air quality, and water and food supply, there is a growing global urgency to adopt sustainability and green solutions as a fact of life in all sectors.^1,3 As responsible citizens and professionals, dentists must embrace "green dentistry" by transitioning from conventional dental practices to sustainable ones.⁽⁴⁾ 

An eco-conscious dental practice may also inspire change among patients and staff members.  

What Is the Position of Professional Dental Organizations? 

The World Dentistry Federation (FDI), in its Consensus on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare: A Joint Stakeholder Statement, takes the following position: 

The entire oral healthcare community, including clinical professionals and industry, recognises that we have a responsibility to deliver products and interventions that improve oral health in a sustainable manner. We also recognise the need to address this environmental challenge within the context of huge oral health inequalities across the world. The actions taken to address sustainability goals need to be balanced with the need to manage these avoidable inequalities and the associated preventable diseases.⁽⁵⁾ 

The American Dental Association (ADA) shares the FDI’s viewpoint, and offers resources for dental professionals who wish to step up their "greenness".^(6,7) 

Want to Go Greener? 

For those who are just starting out on greening their practice, the ADA has compiled a list of 10 ways to go green. They suggest:⁽⁷⁾ 

• Laying out the office to optimize natural light and ventilation 

• Placing indoor plants around the office 

• Installing a programmable thermostat 

• Investing in a central vacuum system that uses no water and has an amalgam trap 

• Installing sensor-operated faucets and low-flow fixtures 

• Using only chlorine-free, high post-consumer recycled paper products 

• Offering filtered tap water in your clinic rather than bottled water 

• Encouraging recycling with clearly labeled and accessible recycling containers 

• Conducting an energy audit 

• Installing an amalgam separator (devices that capture mercury amalgam particles in wastewater to prevent their discharge into the environment) 

For those who wish to take their contribution to sustainability further, the ADA has compiled a list of 80 ways to make your dental practice green. Their tips are based on 6 categories:⁽⁶⁾ 

• Being proactive 

• Installing energy-efficient products 

• Switching to green products 

• Reusing and recycling 

• Conserving energy and other resources 

• Educating staff and patients 

You do not have to implement all the recommended changes to make a difference, nor do you have to implement them all at once. Even one small change can make a big difference over time.  

The FDI has a Sustainability in Dentistry website that offers an open online course and articles and initiatives for sustainable dental practices.⁽⁹⁾ 

Other Suggestions to “Green Up” 

A 2025 narrative literature review of 76 published studies looked at all dental procedures that contribute to sectoral waste (i.e., waste specific to the dental sector) to consider possible alternatives that are more consistent with sustainable development.⁽³⁾ Their findings are summarized in the table below. 

Table. Alternatives and recommendations to mitigate the environmental and health risks associated with conventional dental procedures. 

Source: Speroni, 2025. 

Challenges and Barriers to Going Green 

For some green technologies, there may be a significant up-front investment required. For example,  installing an amalgam separator, upgrading water and electrical fixtures, and upgrading windows all involve costs.6 However, although upgrades can be costly, they promise long-term savings in addition to their environmentally-friendly benefits.⁽¹⁰⁾ 

Changing waste management and recycling practices may be complex, and getting staff on board and compliant may take time and effort. 

Limited space and administrative support can be a barrier. Dental professionals are already busy individuals; the added responsibility of sustainability projects may be a burden.  

In the end, the social responsibility of going green is about us all doing our part—however small—to reduce our carbon footprint. Regardless of the burdens or barriers that some green measures may present, we can all do some of the 80 ways to contribute to the solution, no matter where in the world we practice.⁽⁶⁾ 

Take-Home Message 

The dental-care sector contributes to environmental pollution and climate change through its energy use and waste production. As healthcare providers and citizens of the world, dental professionals have a responsibility to reduce their environmental impact by embracing sustainable practices. These include minimizing waste, reducing energy and resource consumption, and using environmentally friendly materials. 

^References

^{1. Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. United Nations (UN) website. Published n.d. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/}

^{2. Sustainable development goals. United Nations (UN) website. Published n.d. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/}

^{3. Speroni S, Polizzi E. Green dentistry: State of the art and possible development proposals. Dent J (Basel). 2025;13(1):38. doi:10.3390/dj13010038}

^{4. Saxena V, Datla A, Deheriya M. (2023). Green dentistry: A systematic review for objective and subjective research. Int J Res Med Sci. 2023;11(9):3387-3395. doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20232797}

^{5. Martin N, Mulligan S, Hatton PV, et al. FDI World Dental Federation. Consensus on environmentally sustainable oral healthcare: A joint stakeholder statement. 2022.  https://www.fdiworlddental.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/consensus-on-environmentally-sustainable-oral-healthcare.pdf}

^{6. 80 ways to make your dental practice green. American Dental Association (ADA) website. Published 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/office-design/80-ways-to-make-your-dental-practice-green}

^{7. 10 ways to go green in your practice. American Dental Association (ADA) website. Published 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/10-ways-to-go-green-in-your-practice}

^{8. Carbon neutral practice. Dentistry for well-being and nurturing. Vital. 2008;5:30-34. doi:10.1038/vital793}

^{9. Sustainability in dentistry. World Dentistry Federation (FDI) website. Published d. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.fdiworlddental.org/sustainability-dentistry}

^{10. Ramseier Green dentistry: A way forward for oral-health professionals. European federation of Periodontology website. Published 2025. Accessed February 14, 2025. https://www.efp.org/publications-hub/green-dentistry-a-way-forward-for-oral-health-professionals/}