Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 4

The single most effective route to sustainable dental care is through the provision of high-quality care with an emphasis on prevention. FDI Consensus Statement on Sustainable Dentistry On March 30, 2022, the FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) released its first Consensus Statement on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare , which presented an evidence-based framework for the profession to combat climate change and become more environmentally friendly. T he statement begins with a discussion about how climate change and environmental pollution are among the greatest threats to human health. CO 2 emissions and plastic waste, especially packaging and end-user single-use plastics, are the main contributors to unsustainable practices in the oral health care system. Health care systems account for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and oral health is a significant contributor. “The delivery of general health care is currently not environmentally, socially or financially sustainable due to high amounts of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e ) and waste generation,” according to the FDI statement. “It is paradoxical that health care, with the central tenet to support and protect health and life, contributes to climate change through unsustainable practices and, in doing so, to negative health impacts and inequalities.” But there is optimism because the oral health care industry is highly motivated to address these challenges and engage in sustainable practices, as businesses, associations, and individuals throughout the supply chain. “Sustainable oral health care would potentially not only result in substantial CO 2 e reductions but could lead to enhanced patient care, staff satisfaction, cost savings and improved quality of life,” according to the FDI statement. The single most effective route to sustainable dental care is through the provision of high-quality care with an emphasis on prevention. Successful preventative care results in fewer interventions and a reduced environmental impact. “This approach focuses on a reduction for the need of restorative consumables and interventive care appointments at the patient end-user level,” according to the FDI statement. “This reduced demand can be achieved through a promotion of better health focused on disease prevention coupled with the 20 | 2022 | Issue 4