Green dentistry is all about human health, environment

On the purpose of implementing and promoting human health and environmental wellbeing, we celebrate May 22 as Happy Green Dentistry Day. Green dentistry is a relatively new concept in dentistry. This high tech approach minimises the environmental impact of dental practices.

Dentistry is a profession dedicated to promoting health and wellness of the people. It is defined as the 'evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (non-surgical, surgical or related procedures) of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body" and it also contributes to climate change and increasing the pollution of our environment, though dentists generate small amounts of environmentally unfriendly waste materials.

Green dentistry is an innovative way of dental practice which is environment-friendly and at the same time conserves money and time by reducing waste, conserving energy and decreasing pollution with the use of latest techniques and procedures. Green dentistry is an approach to meet the needs of millions of patients and helps dental professionals to protect planetary and community health as well as the financial health of their practices. Green dentistry meets the needs of millions of wellness lifestyle patients, and helps dental professionals protect planetary and community health, as well as the financial health of their practices.

Green dentistry reduces the industry's detrimental impact on the environment and promotes environmental awareness and sustainability to patients. It is an approach of dentistry that encourages sustainable practices by reducing resource consumption and waste.

Why green dentistry? The color "green" denotes renewal, growth, and hope. Green dentistry is not only environment-friendly but also conserves money and time by reducing waste, conserving energy and decreasing pollution with the use of latest techniques and procedures. It insists on to reduces waste and pollution, saves energy, water, and money and to incorporate high tech innovations, focus on wellness. The prime intent is to create the awareness of various environmental problems caused by the dental community and to equip the dentists with various environmental substitutes of the materials in use and to impart them with tier of "green" guidance which would invoke them to become leading stewards of the environment. Green dentistry works on implementing four important key tenets i.e. 4 R's, of Going Green, namely, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce and Re-think. This strategy implemented by dental professionals to help make an easier transition to a more sustainable practice to reduce the burden on the environment.

Reuse: To reuse is to use an item again after it is already used once. To reuse, single use items should be replaced by reusable items. This encourages the prolonged use of an item, to prevent the item from contributing to waste being put in landfills. Finding a new purpose for an item extends its life and decreases contributions to landfills. You'd be surprised how much waste and pollution is generated by a single dental practice.

Recycle - Dental waste and pollution: The process of converting the waste materials into reusable objects is recycling. Much of the waste that is found in landfills can be reprocessed and recycled into a new product. To reduce the waste of useful products, reduce the waste of raw materials and energy needed to extract the materials, reduce water pollution and air pollution from landfills and incinerators respectively, recycling products is a viable way to reduce overall contamination of the environment. Recycle is a viable way to reduce overall contamination of the environment.

Reduce - Conservation of water, energy and money: In order to decrease the pressure on the earth's resources, people must decrease or reduce their consumption of water and energy. To "reduce" is to minimise the amount of waste. One can reduce waste production by reusing and recycling maximum amount of materials. The first and most efficient element of the waste hierarchy is minimising the waste created and the obvious approach to have an abundance of a resource is to use less of it.

Rethink - High-tech approach: Rethinking has utmost importance in dentistry. Redeveloping a mindset is a strategy for change. Green dentistry is a high-tech approach that reduces the environmental impact of dental practices and encompasses a service model for dentistry that supports and maintains wellness. Every decision is made with a certain mindset and redeveloping a mindset is a strategy for change. Environmentalism and sustainability are both considered states of mind. Rethinking the way that dentist offices are run is the initial step in trying to change the modern practice.

Re-thinking the dental procedures, construction, and administration of a dental clinic, in accordance to the dogma of eco-friendly dentistry as a paradigm. As of now, there is no ideal alternative for downsizing the waste generated by these used disposable items. Executing little, affordable transitions will still have a remarkable effect on the environment on a long run.

Many innovations on the leading edge of dental technology are also better for patients and the planet. Use of digital based radiography instead of conventional film radiography.

Rethinking the way that dental offices are seen is the initial step in trying to change the modern practice.

Even though there are many ways in dentistry to reduce waste and pollution, a few of them mentioned here like digital imaging instead of traditional method, use of hospital grade, reusable sterilisation items, recycling and reusing the old hand instruments, using nontoxic, biodegradable surface disinfectants and cleaners, using stainless steel reusable or compostable impression trays, Use of an amalgam separator, disinfecting the water lines regularly using biodegradable or enzymatic cleaners etc.

Dentistry's green future embraces this wellness-based model because our profession is on the front of total body wellness. That is the reason it is rapidly gaining importance worldwide to overcome the environmental issues. Wellness based modalities that are part of dentistry's green future.

We can conclude that green dentistry is an evolving approach to reduce the environmental impact from dental practice. As dental health practitioners, we should be concerned with promoting not only human health and well-being but also that of the environment. Eco-friendly dentistry is a very important tool and there is a huge impact of dental practice on the environment. It aims at reducing the detrimental impact of dental services on the environment and promotes environmental awareness and sustainability to patients. Green dentistry protects the environment and mankind from the hazards of rapid urbanisation in developing countries. So, become a part of dentistry's clean, green and profitable future. Start wherever you are and do something for a safer and greener future. The planet, your patients, and your practice will thank you.

(The writer is a practising general dentist at Dr K Surendar Reddy Super Specialty Dental Clinic, Hanamkonda, Warangal)