Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The climate crisis is caused by rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases, in particular carbon dioxide, methane and nitric oxide.While major industries and agriculture are the largest contributors to global climate change, ostensibly benign professions such as dentistry also play a role.The articles in this special collection of the CDA Journal explore the impact of climate change on dentistry and offer insights into how dental professionals can reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining safe high-quality care.Like other healthcare delivery settings, dental practices rely on a range of materials, resources and methods that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.In the United States, emissions from the healthcare sector account for 8.5% of national emissions and continue to increase.1,2 Dentistry, like other healthcare professions, is thus faced with the challenge of balancing patient care and safety with increasing environmental responsibility.In the article "Impacts of Climate Change on Oral Health and Dentistry," author N Hu addresses this challenge and explains why dentists should care about the climate.Author JK Fields further explores the dentist's role in the fight to preserve natural resources in "Climate Change and Health: The Opportunity for Oral Health Professionals to be Champions of Sustainability."Other articles explain changes dentists can make that will have a positive impact on the environment.For example, many pediatric dental practices use nitrous oxide to manage pain and anxiety in young patients.While nitrous oxide is beneficial for patient comfort and essential for certain procedures, it is a potent greenhouse gas.The challenge is to balance patient care needs with the necessity to reduce emissions.Another example is reducing the amount of waste produced by a practice.Dental clinics use a variety of resources that contribute to environmental degradation, including paper products.Paper use not only leads to deforestation, which contributes to climate change, but also increases waste production in clinics.
Authors: Nader A. Nadershahi, David M. Ojcius
Institution: University of the Pacific
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Award: G3254755134
OpenAlex ID: W4405573629