Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Green Dentistry among Dental Professionals of Bhopal City: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: Eco-friendly dentistry is an environment friendly way of practicing dentistry. It reduces wastage, conserves energy and decreases pollution. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the awareness and practices regarding eco-friendly dentistry among dental professionals of Bhopal city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 dental professionals of Bhopal city to assess their knowledge and practice regarding eco-friendly dentistry. A modified predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the information of eco-friendly dentistry which consisted of 20 questions. Data was analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21, IBM Inc by using chi- square test and p<0.05 was fixed as the level of significance. Results: The study included 200 participants of which 65 were pursuing post graduation (PG Students), 40 were practicing postgraduates (MDS) and 95 were practicing graduates (BDS). The term green dentistry was heard before by 21 (52.5%) Postgraduates, 46 (48.4%) graduates and 53 (81.5%) PG Students. Lack of enough knowledge regarding green dentistry was the prime factor that influenced the adoption of green dentistry between study subjects. Conclusion: The current study revealed that knowledge, awareness and practice regarding green dentistry were not up to the mark. As dentistry is a profession that consumes a lot of resources and in a country like India where water and electricity are deficient in many parts thus conservation of resources is paramount. This goal can only be achieved when all dentists have adequate knowledge regarding eco-friendly dentistry.