An environmental impact study of inter-dental cleaning aids

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the environmental footprint of eight inter-dental cleaning aids. Materials and Methods: A comparative life cycle analysis was conducted based on an individual person using inter-dental cleaning aids every day for 5 years. The primary outcome was a life cycle impact assessment. This comprised of 16 discrete measures of environmental sustainability (known as impact categories), for example, greenhouse gas emissions (measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, or kg CO2e), ozone layer depletion (measured in kilograms of chloroflurocarbon equivalent, or kg CFCe), and water use (measured in cubic metres). Secondary outcomes included normalized data, disability-adjusted life years, and contribution analysis. Results: Inter-dental cleaning using floss picks had the largest environmental footprint in 13 of 16 impact categories. Depending on the environmental impact category measured, the smallest environmental footprint came from daily inter-dental cleaning with either bamboo inter-dental brushes (five impact categories, including carbon footprint), replaceable head inter-dental brushes (four impact categories), regular floss (three impact categories), sponge floss (three impact categories), and bamboo floss (one impact category). Conclusions: Daily cleaning with inter-dental cleaning aids has an environmental footprint that varies depending on the product used. Clinicians should consider environmental impact alongside clinical need and cost when recommending inter-dental cleaning aids to patients.