Discussing the environmental impact of dental-associated travel - how do we build from the current COVID-19 crisis towards a more sustainable future within dentistry?

Dentistry is a highly energy- and resource-intensive field and consequently has a significant environmental impact. In 2013-2014, total greenhouse gas emissions of NHS dental services in England measured 675 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, with 64.5% related to travel, 19% from procurement and 15.3% from energy use. There is currently an absence of comprehensive standards or guidelines for sustainable dentistry. Instead, sustainable initiatives have been at a small scale and are adopted voluntarily by groups or professionals as an ethical duty or practical requirement. However, a recent study showed that there seems to be increasing interest from dental teams in how to become more sustainable. This opinion article focuses on how the dental profession can ensure a sustainable recovery as England emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, with an emphasis on improving environmental sustainability related to travel within the dental healthcare system. Reducing dental-associated travel can include changing mode of transport, combining family appointments, appropriate scheduling of dental examinations, preventive dentistry and the use of information technology.