This document discusses making dentistry more environmentally friendly. It covers topics like the greenhouse effect, global warming, and how dentistry contributes to healthcare waste. It proposes a waste reduction plan following the 4R approach of reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink. Specific suggestions are given for recycling materials, reducing water and disposable item usage, and reusing items. Energy conservation methods like building design and equipment usage are covered. The American Dental Association's top ten suggestions for going green in dental offices are also summarized. The conclusion restates that small changes can benefit the environment and healthier planet.

1. Green
Dentistry
Dr. Divvi Anusha
3rd year post graduate
Department of Public Health Dentistry

2. CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. GREEN HOUSE EFFECT AND GLOBAL WARMING
3. DENTISTRY – CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH CARE WASTE
4. WASTE REDUCTION PLAN – 4R’S
5. ENERGY CONSERVATION
6. AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION SUGGESTIONS FOR GOING
GREEN
7. CONCLUSION
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3. INTRODUCTION
• Environmental awareness and accountability are rapidly
moving to the forefront of humanity’s consciousness.
• Since the industrial revolution, we are having a negative effect
on our environment.

4. What is Greenhouse Effect?
Green House effect is a
naturally occurring
phenomenon that is responsible
for heating of Earth’s Surface
and atmosphere
What is Global Warming ?
Global warming is the result of
greenhouse gases trapping heat and
light from the sun in the earth's
atmosphere, which increases the
temperature, heating up the earth.

6. Joint Declaration of France and India on the fight against Global warming
• France and India commit themselves to strengthening cooperation
on climate change and other environmental problems
(biodiversity, water resources, desertification, natural calamities,
forests, waste management, fight against pollutions), innovation,
dissemination, application and transfer to developing countries.

7. They further strengthen their cooperation in this area in order to
increase their adaptation capacities by acting in the following fields:
• Modelling climate change
• Study of vulnerability arising from climate change and its effects
• Improvement of facilities for the projection of climate change and
its consequences
• Research and development of technologies and means for adapting
to climate change

8. • In this spirit, France and India have decided to create a Franco-
Indian working group on the environment dealing namely with
clean technology transfers and their financing.
• This working group is composed of representatives of the two
States but also those from civil society (companies, NGOs).

9. • The main objective of this group is to identify cooperative action
for swift implementation, particularly in the following areas:
• Energy efficiency and energy-saving
• Renewable energies
• Conservation and sustainable management of forests,
afforestation and reforestation, and soil management
• Biodiversity
• Health and environment.

10. • Dentistry is a profession dedicated to promoting and enhancing oral
health and well-being.
• To accomplish these goals, dentists use a variety of materials and
equipment.
• Unfortunately, some of the materials that are currently in use, including
heavy metals and biomedical waste present potential challenges to the
environment.

11. • According to WHO, SEARO, the 11 Southeast Asian countries
together produce about 350000 tons of health care waste per year, and
close to 1000 tons a day, which is both hazardous and non-hazardous
waste.
• The dental profession also contributes to this abundant health care
waste.
• Although individual dentists generate only small amounts of dental
waste, the accumulated waste produced by the profession may have
significant environmental impact.

12. • Eco-friendly dentistry also known as green dentistry is an approach
to dentistry that implements sustainable practices by keeping
resource consumption in line with nature’s economy, by
safeguarding the external environment by virtue of eliminating or
reducing outgoing wastes and by promoting the well-being of all
those in the clinical environment by conscious reduction of the
chemicals in the breathable air.

13. WASTE REDUCTION PLAN – 4R’S
• One of the easiest ways to start a going green initiative is to
develop a waste reduction plan.
• Whenever possible, waste reduction plans should include the four
R’s
• Recycle
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Rethink

14. Recycle
• Recycling triangle is made up of the three green arrows.
• Collecting materials to be recycled is the first arrow in the
recycling triangle.
• “Remanufacturing”, or making something new out of the recycled
materials, is represented by the second arrow
• “Resale,” or offering for‐sale items created from recycled
materials is represented by the third arrow

15. Various ways of recycling are as follows:
Capture and recycle: Dentists can collect and store all contact and
noncontact scrap amalgam for recycling. This waste must be sent to an
approved recycler that is able to reprocess the mercury
Installing an amalgam separator not only keeps this mercury‐containing
material out of the water system, but recycling waste amalgam means
that more of the material does not have to be created

16. If using traditional x‐rays, recycle fixer and developer solutions and
recycle lead foil from x‐rays
Hand instruments: For over 12 years, Hu‐Friedy has offered a
program called Environdent, which allows practitioners to recycle old
hand instruments and receive a free instrument for helping the planet
Use a community’s existing recycling program to separately recycle
the paper and plastic halves of autoclave bags.

17. Reduce
The easiest way to have more of a resource is to use less of it. These can be
done in following ways:
1. Saving water: Some ways in which dental office can help in saving
water includes the following:
• Follow Centre for Disease Control hand sanitation guidelines and use
hand sanitizer instead of hand‐washing when appropriate
• Use a dry dental vacuum pump, instead of a wet one

18. 2. Reducing the consumption of disposable items used in dentistry would
help in the preservation of the environment
3. The ultimate way to reduce in the dental office is to go “paperless”.
Going paperless involves the office using computer and digital
technology whenever possible to create, use, and store office records
4. Eliminate the use of plastic bags by using paper when possible

19. Reuse
By reusing items instead of throwing them away, resources and energy
necessary to manufacture new products are saved. It includes the use of
reusable and biodegradable materials wherever possible:
• Reusable operating room cotton towels instead of disposable plastic or
paper patient bibs
• Reusable stainless steel high- and low- volume, surgical/endodontic
suction tips as an alternative to disposable plastic tips

20. • Reusable glass irrigation syringe as a substitute for disposable plastic
• Biodegradable disposable cups instead of regular paper cups
• Chlorine‐free, high postconsumer recycled paper products instead of
traditional paper products

21. Rethink
• Implementing small, affordable changes can make a significant
impact on long term environmental sustainability.
• Thinking about practices and protocols and discussing them with
dental team may reveal ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle

22. ENERGY CONSERVATION
The various ways of conserving energy include the following:
1. Green Building‐ Simple ways to go green are as follows:
i) Use concrete instead of bricks. Its improved thermal efficiency reduce
heating and cooling load.
ii) Use double wall glass in window so as to reduce direct heat gain and
glare while maximizing the sunlight entering your rooms
iii) Paint your exteriors and room walls with eco‐friendly nontoxic paints
iv) Use linoleum, a more environmentally friendly choice for flooring

23. AMERICAN DENTALASSOCIATION SUGGESTIONS FOR
GOING GREEN
The Council on Dental Practice of the American Dental Association has
framed list of their top ten ways to go green in the dental office.
• Install an amalgam separator
• Turn off equipment when not in use
• Reuse paper scraps
• Utilize recycle bins and create a “Green Team” to bring items to
recycle centers

24. • Convert to digital technology; for example, digital radiography
• Install solar or tinted shades
• Install locked or programmable thermostats
• Install high efficiency light bulbs
• Use nontoxic cleaners and do not use too much disinfectant.

25. CONCLUSION
• The going green movement, which is rapidly becoming a worldwide
priority, seeks to address environmental contamination, waste, and
other critical environmental issues.
• Dentistry can lessen the combined environmental impact by
utilizing the Four R’s of going green (recycle, reduce, reuse, and
rethink) can be easily applied to the dental office.
• It has been said that it is not possible to have healthy people on a
sick planet.

26. • It is recommended that the dentist should take the initiative to practice
better environmental management now.
• By conserving water, using digital imaging, and recycling the many
recyclables that pass through the office of a green dentist, a great
impact is made.
• However, that impact can be made greater as more dentists join the
green dentistry movement and help make the world a cleaner and
healthier place.

27. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Collins Publisher; 1993. Newman E. Going green making your dental
practice environmentally friendly. AGD Impact. 2010;38:18‐22
2. American dental association council on dental practice. go green: It’s the
right thing to do. Available from: http://dentalcare.com/media/
en‐US/education/ce383/ce383.pdf
3. Shetty V. Green dentistry. JIAPHD 2011;18:891‐3.

28. 4. Eco dentistry association. About green dentistry.
Available from:http://www.ecodentistry.org/?aboutgreendentistry
5. Eco dentistry association. Dental office waste and pollution.
Availablefrom:http://www.ecodentistry.org/?page=OfficeWasteandhhSearchTerms=Dental+and+Office+an
d+Waste+and+Pollution
6. Adams E. Eco‐friendly dentistry: Not a matter of choice. J Can Dent Assoc
2007;73:581‐4.
7. Hanoon R. What’s with the green? Changes that help dentistry preserve the
environment. RDH 2011;31:74‐86.

29. THANKYOU