Understanding the Mindset of Dental Professionals Dr. Toreihi completed a qualitative and quantitative research study to address a simple, but critical question: What do dental professionals in Quebec think, know, and feel about sustainability in dentistry? Although sustainable dentistry has gained traction in the UK and parts of Europe, most Canadian dental professionals have not received formal training in environmental sustainability. Drs. Toreihi and Bedos realized they needed to understand the current landscape in Canada. The qualitative phase, which is now complete and should be published in the coming months, involved focus groups and interviews with a diverse group of dental professionals—dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants—from both the private and public sectors in Quebec. to learn more. They expressed interest in training programs—especially if offered online, for CE credit, and grounded in clinical evidence. They also wanted practical tools: simple guides, checklists, or decisionmaking frameworks they could implement in their own clinics along with supportive policies to facilitate and sustain these practices. Most participants expressed personal concern about the environment. Many referenced visible environmental changes, like wildfires and air pollution, especially after the record wildfire seasons in Canada. “They do care and feel responsible for their children and future generations,” Dr. Toreihi said. “They see the world changing and want to do something about it.” While participants supported the idea of being more environmentally responsible, few had a clear or structured understanding of what sustainable dentistry actually involved. Their knowledge was mostly informal, based on intuition or what they had picked up from general media, rather than clinical guidelines or formal training. Some oral health professionals were taking self‑initiated actions that they hoped were helpful, like separating waste or using certain “green” products, but these actions weren’t grounded in evidence or best practices. Nearly all participants emphasized a desire One Clinic as a Case Study At McGill’s teaching clinic, the effort to measure environmental impact is already well underway. With funding from the McGill Sustainability Projects Fund and support from Synergie Santé Environnement (SSE), a Quebec-based nonprofit that helps health institutions reduce their ecological footprints, Drs. Bedos and Toreihi are auditing all aspects of the clinic’s operations—from transportation habits and waste to procurement chains and water use. Dr. Toreihi details the steps: “We surveyed patients to understand how they get to the clinic, checking postal codes and mode of transportation. Same for staff and students. Then we looked at the waste: how much, what kind, how often. Procurement is especially complicated. We’re trying to track the origins of dental materials, what they’re made of, how they’re packaged, how far they travel.” Participants supported the idea of being more environmentally responsible, but few had a clear or structured understanding of what sustainable dentistry actually involved. Switching to reusable gowns and bibs, adopting teledentistry for some follow-ups, and analyzing whether fewer, larger shipments of supplies might be more sustainable than frequent smaller orders. Even the ubiquitous model teeth that dental students practice on are under review. “SSE took a sample and sent them to a recycling company,” Dr. Bedos says. “Some of them are barely used. Can we recover them?” The goal is to create a comprehensive carbon footprint for the clinic—something they’ll revisit after changes are implemented. Among the early modifications implemented: switching to reusable gowns and bibs, adopting teledentistry for some follow-ups, and analyzing whether fewer, larger shipments of supplies might be more sustainable than frequent smaller orders. Dr. Toreihi hopes to have SSE’s baseline report later in 2025. After that, the real work begins. 25 Issue 5 | 2025 | Issues and People
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