Sustainability Integration in Global Dental Education and Policy Advancing Sustainable Dentistry: Eco-Dentistry Education, Carbon Literacy, and Global Sustainability Indexing

Abstract

Sustainable practices in dentistry are crucial as the field addresses climate change and environmental issues. In the context of sustainability, this review discusses three main themes:  Incorporating eco-dentistry in dental curricula, providing carbon literacy training for students and dental practitioners; and further creating a global sustainability index to evaluate dental practices. Methods included reviewing peer-reviewed articles published in last ten years (2015–2025) and reports from organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Dental Federation, to gather global perspectives, initiatives, gaps, barriers, and best practices. Findings reveal inconsistencies in incorporating sustainability into dental education; while over 80% of students recognize its importance, fewer than 5% have formal exposure in certain areas. Barriers include busy curricula, a lack of faculty expertise, and limited institutional mandates; however, emerging drivers, such as new competency frameworks and student advocacy, are fostering change. Carbon literacy training, such as the Carbon Literacy Toolkit for Healthcare, is becoming increasingly vital, enabling practitioners to measure and reduce their carbon footprint. There is a consensus on the need for standardized metrics to evaluate sustainable practices. Currently, no global index exists, and initiatives are voluntary. A proposed “Global Dental Sustainability Index” could evaluate practices based on carbon emissions, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and procurement, aligning with international environmental targets. This emphasizes the need for dental education and policy to integrate sustainability through collaborations that embed eco-dentistry, improve carbon literacy, and develop standards, such as a global index. These efforts aim to close gaps, promote sustainable practice, contribute to global health and climate goals.