Knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental professionals towards green dentistry in Karachi city- a cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Environmental degradation from pollution, global warming, and industrialization, is alarming with dentistry significantly contributing through mercury and plastic toxicity from improper waste handling. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Dental professionals towards “Green Dentistry” working in the public and private sectors of Karachi city. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Setting: Karachi, Pakistan (Online). Materials and methods: An online questionnaire was conducted among dentists of Karachi, Pakistan, from January to June 2023 collecting participant’s demographic data and assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice of eco-friendly dentistry. Results: With a 61% response rate, most respondents (48.5%) were General Dental Practitioners (GDPs). Dental consultants (DC) exhibited higher awareness of green dentistry (29%) with 50% of DCs favoring digital radiography as environmentally friendly (p < 0.05). Green dentistry practices were more prevalent among DCs with 42.8% (p < 0.05) eliminating amalgam usage, while more GDPs (72.2%, p < 0.05) adopted re-usable lab coats and patient drapes. Discussion and conclusion: Awareness of “Green Dentistry” is generally lacking among participants. Both GDPs and DCs are inclined towards adopting environment-friendly dental practices. Education on energy conservation and materials is essential to reduce waste in the dental industry.