Achieving net zero in dental services in Wales: position statement

7^th November 2025

Climate change in Wales is happening now and needs to be addressed urgently. The impact of human activities is indisputable, and dental services contribute to the problem.

The purpose of this position statement is to influence dental policy and planning, at national, regional and local levels within Wales, relating to reduction in the environmental impact of dental services in Wales.

This position statement should act as a reminder to public bodies in Wales that proactive actions on embedding sustainability into dental care delivery across Wales is a key priority.

This position statement is in relation to reduction of the environmental impact of dental services within Wales.

A more sustainable approach is required in all dental services: 

• General Dental Service (GDS)
• Community Dental Service (CDS)
• Emergency Dental Services (EDS)
• undergraduate and postgraduate education
• secondary care, including hospital services

A key focus of this statement is to influence Welsh Government’s development of national policy and programmes. This includes direction and intervention nationally, to reduce the environmental impact of dental services.

Dental professionals, health boards, NHS managers, procurement teams, educational bodies, and service planners all have a significant role to play. Multiple small changes can add up to a significant change.

A Healthier Wales includes a commitment to "Embed action on the climate emergency in decision-making and plans across the health and social care system". This is in line with the commitment to be "a globally responsible Wales" (Well-being of Future Generations Act).

Healthcare contributes significantly to carbon emissions and resource consumption. Dentistry involves high volumes of single-use plastics, frequent travel, and energy-intensive equipment. Welsh Dental Committee recognises the urgent need to transition toward more sustainable models of care that minimise environmental harm.

Relevant, current, UK Legislation is the 2019 amendment to the Climate Change Act (2008), detailing the UK’s commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. This directly supports the UK’s commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global average temperature rise to ‘well below’ 2ᵒC. In 2022, the NHS became the first health system to embed net zero into legislation, through the Health and Care Act (2022).

A report written by The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare calculated the carbon footprint of dentistry in England 2013 to 2014, showed that staff & patient travel accounted for 33.4% & 31.1% of carbon emissions respectively. Followed by procurement (19%), energy (15.3%), waste (0.2%) and water (0.1%). When assessing the carbon footprint of different dental procedures, examinations contributed most emissions (27.1%). Scale and polishes (13.4%), amalgam fillings (9.7%) and composite fillings (9.7%).

WDC recognises the work of dental organisations to reduce their environmental impact. Dental practices have featured prominently in the Greener Primary Care awards over recent years.

In March 2024, the Welsh Government Heads of Profession published their position statement. The statement included a call for action, recommending that every health practitioner supports climate action in their organisation by advocating for sustainable practice at all levels of care delivery. It also asks that practitioners support their colleagues in this regard. By prioritising environmental sustainability, healthcare staff can create a healthier future for patients and the planet

The Welsh Dental Committee is supportive of Welsh Governments’ goal of achieving a net zero public sector by 2030, with a target for NHS Wales of reduction by 34% by 2030 with 2018 to 2019 as baseline.

The Welsh Dental Committee is supportive of Welsh Government’s legislative and strategic intent of reducing the environment impact of healthcare services in Wales. The committee supports legislative and other measures to reduce the negative impact of dental services.

WDC makes the following recommendations:

In line with The Bevan Commissions ‘Let’s not Waste’ programme and the principles of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink’, the Welsh Dental Committee supports and encourages the adoption of a more sustainable approach to dental services through:

• embedding the best clinical practice (Delivering Better Oral Health), prevention-first approaches that reduce disease burden and associated interventions and treating for the long term
• collaboration with dental educators to promote an evidence-based approach to the delivery of oral healthcare
• earlier and quicker detection, diagnosis, and treatment (One Stop Clinics)
• sustainable procurement of dental materials, equipment, and consumables
• waste reduction and recycling, with a focus on reducing single-use plastics where safe alternatives exist
• responsible usage of Nitrous Oxide, utilising cylinder storage, rather than manifold systems
• optimising the location of care
• low-carbon travel solutions for staff and patients
• energy-efficient operations, including the use of low-energy lighting, heating, and dental equipment
• digital modernisation and workflow, including remote consultations and education where appropriate, and enabling of digital sharing of information between healthcare professionals within dentistry, and between the wider healthcare professions
• responsible use of artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and minimise waste, while remaining mindful of its potential for significant environmental impact
• biodiversity, by developing and maintaining wildlife-friendly environments in relation to garden areas, window boxes, planters and roof spaces

Changes in this regard should not compromise patient safety or clinical outcomes.

Changes should be based on strong evidence. Welsh Government and NHS Wales should collaborate with academic institutions for research and evaluation to understand, in detail, the impact of changes to the dental service on carbon emissions and the environment. A net zero framework needs to be developed on a national basis to evaluate carbon reductions associated with any new and existing models of care.

Welsh Dental Committee encourages dental teams to engage with HEIW’s Environmental Sustainability Matrix for Dental Practice and Greener Primary Care Programme.

Training should be readily available for dental teams in reducing their environmental impact.

Welsh Government should take action to reduce Did Not Attend (DNA) and Was Not Brought (WNB) occurrences in dental practice, which lead to wasted clinical time, administration, and resources.

In line with A Healthier Wales’ commitment to digital and data maturity, Welsh Government should continue to modernise the digital infrastructure to ensure efficient communication between dental teams, patients and the wider healthcare professions.

This position aligns with the Welsh Government’s Climate Emergency declaration (2019) and the NHS Wales Decarbonisation Strategic Delivery Plan. Preventive and minimally invasive care support both population health and environmental goals, while sustainable practice management ensures long-term resilience.

The WDC will review this statement annually which will include discussion on the progress made against the committee’s recommendations.

WDC Secretary: committeesecretariat1@gov.wales