Periodontal disease carries a measurable environmental cost

A new study has measured the environmental burden associated with periodontal disease. Researchers examined the environmental impact of home-based oral hygiene regimens and clinic-based periodontal treatment, and identified the main contributors to the footprint of periodontal disease management.

Using a life cycle analysis of daily home hygiene practices and in-clinic dental care, the study assessed the environmental impact of maintaining periodontal health compared with managing different stages of periodontal disease. Patients requiring clinical treatment for periodontal disease were modelled as having a considerably larger environmental footprint than those who maintained periodontal health through preventive care. The increase was driven largely by greater numbers of clinic visits and the associated patient and staff travel, energy consumption by dental practices, and use of clinical equipment and materials.

For the average patient, professionally delivered periodontal care was associated with an environmental impact approximately two to four times higher than that of preventive at-home oral care. The gap widened further in advanced periodontitis, where impacts reached 10 times those associated with daily preventive routines.

The researchers found no statistically significant difference between home care regimens using manual and electric toothbrushes across the environmental impact categories assessed. Water use during toothbrushing emerged as one of the most important contributors to the environmental footprint of home oral care.

The study gives measurable environmental weight to the clinical case for periodontal disease prevention. It shows that progression from preventive home care to repeated clinic-based treatment carries a substantial sustainability burden. The article was published online in the Journal of Dentistry.

From: https://uk.dental-tribune.com/news/periodontal-disease-carries-a-measurable-environmental-cost/.