Are Dental Training Programs Heading towards Ecological Disaster – Results from a Survey

Khurshid Mattoo^1, , Vishwadeepak Singh² and Rishabh Garg³

¹Prosthodontics, College of dental sciences, Jazan University, KSA

²Prosthodontics, Teerthankar Mahaveer dental college, Moradabad, India

³Prosthodontics, Subharti dental college, Meerut, India

Cite this paper:
Khurshid Mattoo, Vishwadeepak Singh and Rishabh Garg. Are Dental Training Programs Heading towards Ecological Disaster – Results from a Survey. Journal of Atmospheric Pollution. 2014; 2(1):17-21. doi: 10.12691/jap-2-1-4

Abstract

With ever increasing number of dentists graduating in developing countries like India, biomedical waste management becomes an issue, especially when the country is listed among one of the most polluted countries in the world. Aims: To evaluate the relative awareness about biomedical waste management and recycling of dental materials among dental students, To determine the need for modifications in dental curriculum and to discuss various recyclable dental materials Materials and methods: The study was conducted in two phases, and involved dental interns from various recognized dental colleges in north India. 183 male and 317 female students, representing more than 40 approved and recognized dental institutes were randomly selected and were asked to fill the questionnaire divided into two sections each having fifteen questions. The data collected was analyzed in percent, followed by application of a 5 point unipolar scale for assessing the overall level of awareness about the two different categories. Results: Results show that a large percentage of the students were not aware of the process of biomedical waste management (89%) whereas about half of the subjects were moderate to slightly aware about the recycling/reusing of dental materials. Conclusions: Biomedical waste management is a serious issue globally and requires immediate academic assessment so that students are comprehensively taught about its management. Further studies also need to be conducted to review the current status in other professional medical courses.

Keywords:
greenhouse gases biomedical waste gypsum fixer solution mercury eco-friendly global warming

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