Assessing Sustainable Practices in Pre-Doctoral Dental Education

The extensive use of materials and resources in dentistry necessitates sustainable practices to preserve the health of patients and our planet. This study aimed to investigate how dental schools incorporate sustainability into the curriculum and assess facilitators and barriers to its implementation.

A 28-item REDCap survey was emailed to 78 clinical deans at CODA-accredited dental schools in July 2024. Interested respondents shared contact information through an unlinked survey to participate in semi-structured interviews exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors that affect curricular incorporation of sustainability. Zoom interview transcripts were de-identified and transcribed. Descriptive statistics were calculated using REDCap, and qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo.

Twenty-one (27%) clinical deans completed the survey; three participated in interviews. Survey respondents report that while sustainable practice is implemented to varying extents in pre-doctoral clinics, the topic is not often integrated into didactic and preclinical curricula. Interview data revealed that clinical deans desire formal opportunities to learn about and engage with topics in sustainability, lack assessment tools to evaluate institutional sustainability goals, and are challenged by insufficient time, resources, and organizational constraints when considering clinical practice changes.

Sustainability is not widely incorporated in dental education as a categorical topic in curricula. This study demonstrates the need for formalized administrator training, tailored resources, and a collaborative, top-down approach to cultivate engagement with sustainable practices in dental education.