Not everyone knows that the healthcare sector has a significant impact on the environment: as much as 5% of greenhouse gas emissions come from healthcare, and dentistry is a major contributor within it. If the healthcare sector were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet.
Oral healthcare adds to this environmental burden through air pollution from the CO2 released by travel and transport, waste incineration, the greenhouse impact of anaesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide, and high water consumption.
More specifically, every dental procedure produces significant amounts of carbon. Fillings, for example, produce about 15 kilograms of CO2eq (carbon dioxide equivalent) per procedure; a single root canal treatment produces 23 kilograms of CO2eq, and a denture between 58 and 71 kilograms of CO2eq.
Nitrous oxide (N2O), the most commonly used inhaled dental anaesthetic, is a greenhouse gas with a far greater global warming potential than CO2. Just one kilogram of nitrous oxide is equivalent to 298 kilograms of CO2 and 25 kilograms of methane, another powerful greenhouse gas.
Prevention is therefore the best way to keep both your mouth and the planet healthy. Each of us can practise prevention through simple good daily habits, such as brushing our teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, using dental floss, cutting down on sugar, fizzy drinks and alcohol, and giving up bad habits such as smoking, including e-cigarettes.
To reduce your carbon footprint even further, it is important to choose toothbrushes and toothpastes whose packaging is made from sustainable raw materials, to recycle everything you can and to keep the amount of drinking water you use when brushing your teeth to a minimum.
Regular dental check-ups and professional dental cleaning at least twice a year will be the winning cards for keeping your smile healthy for a long time. When treatment is needed, check that your dentist uses high-quality products and materials that last longer and/or need replacing less often. Also ask whether check-ups can be booked for the whole family at once, to cut down on trips to the practice.
Lots of small actions, however minor they may seem, can make a big difference to our planet!
Source: “Healthy Mouths, Healthy Planet” Inside View 18/03/2022 • Ihsane Ben Yahya, Nicolas Martin & Steven Mulligan
Credits: Photo by Superkitina on Unsplash
