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What is the environmental footprint of a dental practice? A life cycle analysis (Part 1)

British Dental Journal (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction Growing awareness of environmental sustainability is essential. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report stresses urgent carbon reductions to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. The NHS in all four countries of the UK aims to be net zero. Dental practices must prioritise sustainability for public health. This paper uses life cycle analysis (LCA) where possible to study a dental practice's environmental footprint.

Methodology LCA methodology was used where possible to calculate the carbon footprint (CFP) of a full-time dental clinic operating 220 days/year. The Ecoinvent database and OpenLCA software were used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, normalised factors and disability-adjusted life years. Attributional and spend-based approaches were used to analyse procurement items.

Results Compared with our 2015 paper, the 2023 CFP, which used more current impact factors, shows reduced water use emissions and increased total waste emissions. Staff travel and patient travel continues to significantly impact the CFP.

Discussion Addressing waste and promoting low-carbon transport within the dental practice is crucial. Procurement's impact requires detailed analysis. Normalised scores highlight the environmental impact compared to an average person.

Conclusion The CFP of a dental practice was updated using more current impact factors to reinforce the high contribution of travel within the dental CFP, with an increase in the CFP of waste and a reduction in the CFP of water.

Key Points

  • The overall carbon footprint of dental practices has increased, rising from 27 tonnes to 35 tonnes, with notable shifts in different components such as increased waste and staff travel, despite a decrease in electricity-related emissions.

  • The carbon footprint of incinerating mixed dental waste is estimated at 1,552 kg carbon emissions per tonne, emphasising the significant environmental impact associated with waste management in dental practices and the need for sustainable waste disposal strategies

  • The carbon emissions related to water use have decreased from 39 kg to around 13 kg, indicating a change in methodology.

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Acknowledgements

Although no new data were collected for 2023, clinicians should note that due to changes in methodology/emission factors, the following changes occurred: 1) the overall CFP has increased from 27 tonnes to 35 tonnes; 2) the proportion of waste has increased to 1% of the CFP; and 3) the contribution of travel has increased, particularly staff travel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland

    Brett Duane

  2. Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, 291 Cranbrook House, 287 Banbury Rd, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7JQ, UK

    Ingeborg Steinbach

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  1. Brett Duane
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  2. Ingeborg Steinbach
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Brett wrote the majority of the paper and produced the tables. Ingeborg sourced the data references, checked assumptions and reviewed the paper.

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Correspondence to Brett Duane.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

This research involves information freely available in the public domain, eg published and secondary data, so does not require ethical approval.

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Duane, B., Steinbach, I. What is the environmental footprint of a dental practice? A life cycle analysis (Part 1). Br Dent J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6710-z

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