Counting Carbon to Drive Change Data is the cornerstone of strategy, not only in the clinic but beyond. Drs. Bedos and Toreihi are also building a carbon footprint calculator for dental offices, known as Carbo‑Dent, in partnership with collaborators in France. It’s designed to help clinics across Quebec (and eventually elsewhere) calculate their greenhouse gas emissions based on inputs like staff and patient commutes, electricity use, waste, and dental supply chains. “It’s not just about awareness,” Dr. Toreihi says. “It’s about numerical evidence. Dental professionals need to see a graph and chart that says, ‘Here’s the breakdown of your clinical and non-clinical carbon footprint and which source of emissions is the largest.’ Only then can we change habits.” From One Clinic to Many While McGill’s dental clinic has the support of a large institution, implementing change in private practices presents different challenges, and Dr. Toreihi is studying that, too. Her PhD thesis project focuses on helping private clinics across Quebec adopt eco‑responsible practices using the training modules, the carbon calculator, and case studies developed at McGill. “Private clinics don’t have the same resources,” she says. “There’s no one to allocate funding or assign a sustainability committee. Everything depends on the clinic owner, on their time, their budget and their motivation.” Many practitioners, she’s found, care deeply about planetary health. But they’re overwhelmed or unsure where to start. In interviews, they expressed frustration over the higher cost of sustainable products and the lack of standardized guidance. “They’re doing what they can, based on general knowledge, recycling here and there, but nothing structured,” Dr. Toreihi says. That’s where Drs. Bedos and Toreihi’s educational efforts come in. They’re building a continuing education course with support from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. The online, for-credit training will introduce dental professionals to sustainable practices and how to track their impact over time. “We want sustainability to be embedded in professional identity,” Dr. Bedos says. “It’s not just a checklist, it’s a way of seeing.” The tool is currently being tested, and early versions have shown just how substantial emissions from transportation can be. “In dentistry, transportation can account for 60% of a clinic’s footprint,” she explains. “Waste, despite all the plastics, is usually less than 1%. That surprises many people.” Still, waste matters, particularly because it’s so visible. Reusable items, digital recordkeeping, and other waste reduction initiatives all factor into the changes they’re piloting. But the digital shift brings trade-offs, Dr. Toreihi cautions. “Digital tools reduce chemical and paper waste, but they require electricity and rare minerals. Same with electric cars: better for air quality, but the batteries are complex to produce and recycle.” Many practitioners care deeply about planetary health. But they’re overwhelmed or unsure where to start. In interviews, they expressed frustration over the higher cost of sustainable products and the lack of standardized guidance. A Philosophy as Much as a Program Though grounded in data, Dr. Bedos’ outlook is philosophical. “The process of measurement compels us to pause and reflect; not only on transportation and material consumption, but ultimately on the structure of our society itself,” he explains. “We must ask: what kind 26 | 2025 | Issue 5 Issues and People
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