EcoSmile: A Comprehensive Analysis of Sustainable Dental Practices Using Mixed Methodology

Abstract

Introduction: Sustainability is the profound and accountable way of using the natural resources, its goal being to prevent their depletion and preserving the ecological balance. An essential prerequisite to accomplish dental practice environmentally friendly. Materials and Methods: The mixed method dual approach study, preliminary in level I a qualitative evaluation of green practices among dental professionals for sustainable ecofriendly dental practice. Questionnaire study performed by 24 item scale among registered dental professionals was performed. Level II Scoping research was blatantly representing via tree map the voids towards environment friendly dental care in evidence-based literature via R Studio programming in statistical graphics. Results: Out of 300 dentists 258 (84.7%) opine optimistically towards environmentally friendly dental practices. Majority 98.7% agree to implement green dental practices, only 58% dentists follow mandatory protocol. Only 9.0% dentists updated with latest innovative methodologies for reducing carbon footprint. Quantitative data envisage 16 articles in PubMed database, spanning 2001 to 2023. There’s a dearth of national research trends in this field. Quality research for promoting sustainable dentistry need escalation. Conclusion: It is inevitable to measure and mitigate the environmental foot print. By implementing 4 R of reduce, reuse, recycle and restore in dental care. Redesigning, exterior to interior, stop disposable, stringent waste management can bring revolution. Sustainable use of dental materials and equipment promoting research for health promotion is need of an hour. Green entrepreneurship in dentistry have the potential to protect ecosystem.

Keywords

• dental practice
• ecology
• green dentistry
• waste disposal