Environmentally friendly behavior in dentistry.

Background and aims: Sustainability is the sensitive and responsible way of using the natural resources, its goal being to prevent their depletion and preserving the ecological balance. An essential requirement to achieve this is to practice environmentally conscious behavior. The main objective of the present study was to carry out a survey among dentists about the importance of sustainability, feasibility of an environmentally friendly dental practice and the steps in favor of it. Methods: An online survey with 6 question groups, including a total of 50 questions, was performed. The survey was available online for dentists on different platforms. In total 98 responses were recorded during September - November 2020. Results: Out of the responding dentists, 74.49% liked the idea of an environmentally friendly dental practice and 98.97% would take some steps toward environmental awareness in their practice. A statistically significant ( Conclusions: Most of the respondents were open to the idea of forming an environmentally conscious dental practice and they would act to achieve it. In order to reach this, it is necessary to provide dentists with feasible solutions for better practice. Some of the guidance issues, which would be easy to implement, are listed at the end of the present study. We intend to provide a guidance regarding sustainable dental practice.