The environmental consequences of oral healthcare provision by the dental team

This data supports the publication in the Journal of Dentistry, January 2024.Article Title: The environmental consequences of oral healthcare provision by the dental teamObjectivesTo undertake a comparative ecological impact (Total lifetime carbon footprint and single use plastics (SUP) waste generation) derived from the provision of professional oral healthcare (Dentists and hygienist) to five different patient categories up to the age of 50 years, representative of different levels of progressive dental disease and treatment experience.MethodCO2e and SUP waste generated was calculated for five patient categories with common preventable diseases; that are representative of different levels of progressive dental disease and treatment experience. The assessment is based on the average restorative care levels for 50-year-olds in the UK. The number of appointments for each procedure was calculated using current evidence-based guidelines. The total lifetime carbon and the SUP waste analysis was calculated using published peer-reviewed data.ResultsThe total carbon footprint follows a progression with low impacts for individual persons with very low disease and treatment experience (285 KgCO2e), escalating to very high impacts (approximately 2,170 KgCO2e) for people with high levels of disease and treatment experience. SUP waste follows a similar linear rise across the different cohorts of dental experience over a lifetime (6-50 years), from 1382 items and 4.6 Kg for patients in a the very low dental experience, to 12,200 items and 33.8Kg for patients in the cohort of very high dental experience.ConclusionsThe provision of all oral healthcare carries an environmental impact in the form of carbon footprint and SUP waste. The cumulative lifetime environmental impact of oral healthcare is proportional to the disease and treatment experience of the individual person for these preventable diseases; with a x8 difference between the two extremes of experience.Clinical SignificanceAll forms of oral healthcare have an environmental impact.The most effective way to mitigate these impacts is through the promotion and provision of effective evidence-based preventive oral healthcare.

本数据集支持《牙科医学杂志》2024年1月的发表。文章标题：牙科团队提供口腔医疗保健的环境影响。研究目标：比较生态影响（总终身碳足迹和一次性塑料（SUP）废物产生），该影响来源于为五类不同年龄在50岁以下的病人提供专业口腔医疗保健（牙医和牙科卫生员），这些病人代表了不同级别的渐进性牙科疾病和治疗经验。研究方法：针对五种常见可预防疾病，计算了五类患者的CO2e和SUP废物产生量；这些疾病代表了不同级别的渐进性牙科疾病和治疗经验。评估基于英国50岁成年人的平均修复护理水平。每个程序预约次数的计算基于当前的循证指南。总终身碳足迹和SUP废物分析使用了已发表的同行评审数据。研究结果：总碳足迹随着个体疾病和治疗经验的增加而呈渐进性上升，对于疾病和治疗经验极低的个体影响较低（285 KgCO2e），而对于疾病和治疗经验较高的个体影响极高（约2,170 KgCO2e）。SUP废物随个体终身牙科经验的不同群体（6-50岁）呈现出类似的线性增长，从极低牙科经验患者的1382件和4.6 Kg，到极高牙科经验群体的12,200件和33.8Kg。结论：所有口腔医疗保健的提供都伴随着环境影响，以碳足迹和SUP废物形式呈现。口腔医疗保健的累积终身环境影响与个体的疾病和治疗经验成正比；在两种极端经验之间，影响差异可达8倍。临床意义：所有形式的口腔医疗保健都具有环境影响。减轻这些影响的最佳方法是推广和提供有效的基于循证预防口腔医疗保健。