Sustainability

Planetary health is a concern for us all and it is now clear that everyone has a part to play in reducing the impact we are having on the environment, and that includes dentistry.  SDCEP is exploring how best to support dental services in working more sustainably.   

In our most recent guidance publication, Management of Patients taking Anticoagulants or Antiplatelet Drugs, we identified actions that practices can take to operate more sustainably.  For this guidance topic, these actions focus on avoiding unnecessary appointments, because patient travel is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of oral healthcare. SDCEP recently provided some more general advice for dental practices on sustainability within a new  Practice Support Manual  topic with advice on what practices can do now.  

This is an evolving area and SDCEP is working with others to help coordinate sustainable oral healthcare initiatives. We expect to provide further advice and tools to support sustainability in the coming months.