Mitsika, I.; Chanioti, M.; Antoniadou, M. Dental Solid Waste Analysis: A Scoping Review and Research Model Proposal. Appl. Sci.2024, 14, 2026.
Mitsika, I.; Chanioti, M.; Antoniadou, M. Dental Solid Waste Analysis: A Scoping Review and Research Model Proposal. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 2026.
Mitsika, I.; Chanioti, M.; Antoniadou, M. Dental Solid Waste Analysis: A Scoping Review and Research Model Proposal. Appl. Sci.2024, 14, 2026.
Mitsika, I.; Chanioti, M.; Antoniadou, M. Dental Solid Waste Analysis: A Scoping Review and Research Model Proposal. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 2026.
Abstract
In the face of 21st-century environmental challenges, including climate change, migration pressures, and waste disposal issues, certain healthcare sectors, notably dentistry, pose a significant global environmental footprint with concerns about carbon emissions and waste production. This scoping review delves into the paradox that healthcare, while dedicated to safeguarding health, inadvertently contributes to environmental degradation through waste accumulation and disposal. The analysis of relevant pertinent literature emphasizes the imperative for an environmentally sustainable approach to dental waste measurement, disposal methods, and comprehensive education for stakeholders. Aligned with the World Conference on Sustainable Development and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, the study adhered to PRISMA-ScR scoping review guidelines and Institute of Medicine's recommendations. The study utilized Medline/PubMed and international organization websites for data retrieval, employing Boolean operator queries in Medline. A systematic literature analysis identified six cross-sectional studies (2004-2018) highlighting variations in dental waste composition due to the lack of standardized identification methods. This heterogeneity underscores the need for a proposed research model, emphasizing comprehensive methodologies and healthcare staff training in waste management. The study advocates for environmentally conscious dental practices, contributing to broader sustainable healthcare goals through sharing of a research protocol for dental solid waste management.
Keywords
environmental impact; waste production; dental waste; carbon footprint; dental services; dental practicel; research model
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Waste Management and Disposal
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
