Pushing for more sustainability in dentistry
When Avery Donkin-Verschuren started dental school, she was impressed by all the extracurricular student led initiatives that were available through the Dental Student Society (DSS), ranging from athletics to community outreach, and wellness. “Why not sustainability?” she thought. That year Avery and four other students started the Sustainability Committee. Avery leads the group as the Sustainability Commissioner.
Sustainability can be defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. “Environmental sustainability is a huge concern, especially for our younger member dentists. They are going to be the ones who are going to be practicing long into the future and I think they are dismayed at the amount of waste we are producing.” says Dr. Lynn Tomkins, president of the Canadian Dental Association.
Starting small, thinking big
One of the first initiatives of the Sustainability Committee was purchasing special bins for electrical waste for recycling. The committee also began to dedicate a part of its budget to other DSS groups, so that all student life events would be planned sustainably (i.e., No single-use plastic products etc.).
They also organize events like “Meatless Mondays”, where students are encouraged to submit a photo of their meatless lunch in exchange for the opportunity to win a $25 dining gift card, or “Swap my closet,” a week when students are encouraged to bring in clothes for a thrift market exchange that supports sustainability in the fashion industry.
The Committee hopes to increase their impact. Avery is a dental student representative on the Ontario Dental Association’s Environmental Sustainability Working group. One of their goals is to empower dental faculties to improve upon their environmental footprint.
“We are always open to dialogue with our students to discuss opportunities for improvement, while keeping the safety of our patients first. In recent years, we have added a sustainability lens to the way that we operate.” says Dr. Jim Posluns, Director of Clinical Affairs, at U of T’s Faculty of Dentistry.
Going digital
U of T’s dental clinics have fully transitioned from paper to electronic medical records. “We serve over 15,000 new patients per year, and I am happy to say that our patient records are now 100% paperless.”
The Faculty is also committed to exploring digital dentistry. Digital dentistry refers to any dental technology or device that uses computer-based components instead of older mechanical or electrical methods.
Transition to digital radiography is already complete. “Traditional x-rays require many chemicals to develop pictures. These chemicals are toxic, and if they are not correctly disposed of, they may find their way into the environment. Digital radiography produces less waste altogether.” says Posluns.
“Going digital would reduce all this waste. Our plans are to eliminate these plaster models that students use and pursue digital dentistry in the future."
A future area of focus is to shift to digital dental impressions. Dental impressions are imprints of teeth, gums and surrounding structures that are used to create diagnostic models of the mouth, as well as dental restorations, whitening trays, retainers, aligners, mouth guards and more.
Currently, U of T’s dental students make plaster and rubber-based impressions that require the use of acrylic trays. “These materials are non-recyclable, and a lot of waste ends up in the landfill.” says Posluns.
Digital impressions allow dentists to create a virtual replica of the tissues in the mouth using 3D cameras and other optical scanning devices, without the need for traditional impression materials.
Interested in sustainability at dentistry?
Although she is graduating this year, Avery hopes that the Sustainability's Committee’s work will continue to make an impact at the Faculty and beyond. “In dentistry, people have a vested interest in caring for other people. It’s important to fight for the earth.” she says. “I want to leave the committee with members who are passionate and dedicated and can maintain the values of sustainability.”
If you are interested in existing sustainability initiatives at U of T, learn more about programs at the University’s Sustainability Office.
Written by Nina Ambros
Photo credit: Jeff Comber