Are tomorrow's dentists ready for a sustainable future? Insights from a European student survey

Introduction – The significant environmental impact related to modern dental practices highlights the need for increased awareness and attitude shifts among future European dentists. Therefore, this study aimed to assess dental students’ perceptions and knowledge levels regarding sustainability in oral healthcare across Europe. Methods – The study was conducted among 175 students from 14 dental schools in 11 European countries, who completed an online questionnaire. Results – Most respondents were female (71%) vs. male (27%), with a mean age of 21.1 ± 2.9 years (18–33). 56% of the respondents correctly identified all three dental sustainability definitions, with no gender differences. Dental activities perceived as having the highest environmental impact were patient care (single-use cups and materials) (51%), dental equipment (18%), and dental materials (14%), with no significant gender differences. Students’ top strategies to reduce environmental impact of dentistry were reducing plastic disposables (77%), using technologies like 3D printing/CAD-CAM (56%), and digital data management (55%). Dental procedures considered to have the highest carbon footprint were amalgam/composite fillings (44%), radiographs (35%), and acrylic dentures (32%). Additionally, 42% of the students expressed interest in an elective course on sustainability in dental practice. Conclusions – By exploring future practitioners’ understanding of sustainability, this research could offer perspectives that may be useful in shaping curriculum considerations, fostering environmentally responsible clinical training, and supporting policy dialogue at institutional and European levels.