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Incorporating sustainability into assessment of oral health interventions

British Dental Journal volume 229, pages 310–314 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Prior to 1966, consumers purchased food items with very little (if any) nutritional labels. Now, nutritional labelling is an integral part of informed consumer choice. This paper advocates for a similar approach for healthcare-related products, using the toothbrush as an example, with the need to quantify and publish data on their clinical efficacy and environmental impact. In this paper, we consider different manufacturing models and measure the environmental impact (carbon footprint) and also the human health impact (disability-adjusted life years [DALYs]) for the most commonly used oral health product: the toothbrush.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Eastman Dental Institute (University College London).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trinity College Dublin, Department of Child and Public Dental Health, Dublin, Ireland

    Brett Duane

  2. UCL, Paediatric Dentistry, 256 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1 X8LD, UK

    Paul Ashley

  3. Botany, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin, Ireland

    Sophie Saget

  4. Director, Centre for Evidence based-Dentistry, Senior Lecturer, Dental Health Services Research Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK

    Derek Richards

  5. Independent Consultant, 85 Stanley Hill, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9HH, UK

    Eleni Pasdeki-Clewer

  6. Eastman Dental Hospital, Department of Paediatric Dentistry, 47–49 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DG, UK, UK

    Alexandra Lyne

Authors
  1. Brett Duane
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  2. Paul Ashley
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  3. Sophie Saget
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  4. Derek Richards
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  5. Eleni Pasdeki-Clewer
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  6. Alexandra Lyne
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brett Duane.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Duane, B., Ashley, P., Saget, S. et al. Incorporating sustainability into assessment of oral health interventions. Br Dent J 229, 310–314 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1993-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1993-9

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