School: Dental School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Program: Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Dental Therapy or Hygiene (BDT/H)
Units: Oral Biology and Biomaterials (Year 1), Clinical Skills Lab (Year 2), Research (Years 3-4)
How is sustainability included in these units? How did you decide what was appropriate?
Sustainability is being embedded throughout the Dental School’s curriculum so that students encounter it repeatedly, across their programme. Teaching begins in Year 1 with an introductory session on climate change, carbon footprints, and the environmental impact of healthcare and dentistry, framed through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Rather than treating sustainability as a standalone topic, it is integrated into existing teaching where it aligns with learning outcomes. For example, biomaterials lectures include explicit discussion of the sustainability of dental materials, while Clinical Skills Labs highlight sustainable reuse practices where appropriate and safe. Waste management is embedded into clinical teaching, helping students understand how everyday decisions such as waste management can significantly reduce environmental impact.
In Year 3, sustainability forms the central theme of a student poster conference, encouraging research into planetary health and the broader social dimensions of sustainability. Planning is underway to further embed sustainability in later years through evidence summaries and a “preparing for practice” session focused on running a sustainable dental practice. Decisions about what to include have been guided by relevance and feasibility and positioning sustainability as an integral part of professional identity.
If it uses any unusual/original pedagogy or assessment approaches to do this, what are these?
A key feature is the integration of sustainability into existing teaching and assessment, rather than introducing separate sustainability modules. This ensures students see sustainability as inseparable from good clinical and professional practice.
Different approaches include the Year 3 sustainability-themed poster conference, where students independently research and present sustainability issues relevant to dentistry, and the hope to introduce planned audit-style activities that simulate real-world decision-making around budgeting, sustainable materials and environmental trade-offs in dental practice. These activities mirror professional realities, highlighting that sustainable choices often involve balancing cost, effectiveness, and environmental impact.
What are the challenges you have faced in embedding sustainability practices within the curriculum?
One of the biggest challenges has been finding space within an already intensive professional curriculum. Dental students have tightly packed timetables, and there is a strong desire to avoid sustainability becoming an additional topic.
Another challenge lies in capturing the full extent of sustainability teaching already happening across clinical and non-clinical settings. Clinicians have limited time, and sustainability-related discussions may occur informally in teaching spaces without being centrally recorded. Building a coherent picture of this activity, while respecting staff workloads, is an ongoing process.
What sustainability-relevant ‘takeaways’ would you expect students to gain?
Students are expected to have a clear understanding that sustainability is a core responsibility of modern dental practice. This is through; 1) awareness of the environmental impact of dentistry and healthcare, 2) understanding how prevention-focused care supports both patient wellbeing and planetary health, 3) confidence to consider sustainability alongside effectiveness, ethics, and cost when evaluating materials and practices, and 4) recognition of their professional duty to reduce environmental impact while maintaining high standards of patient care.
Student feedback suggests that this approach is influencing student thinking. Sustainability is increasingly raised by students during discussions of evidence-based practice, demonstrating that it is becoming part of their clinical decision-making mindset.
How can other schools learn from your school practices in embedding sustainability?
A key lesson from the Dental School’s experience is the value of embedding sustainability into existing structures, rather than creating additional content. External drivers such as sustainability requirements from the General Dental Council provided an important catalyst, but successful implementation has relied on collaboration, shared ownership, and staff support.
Reaching out for specialist guidance, particularly from Education for Sustainable Development colleagues, helped ensure sustainability was introduced at the right level and in appropriate ways. Just as importantly, the strong culture of openness and collaboration within the school has allowed sustainability ideas to develop organically, with staff contributing in ways that fit their teaching contexts.
For other schools, the key message is that sustainability does not need to be owned by one individual or confined to one module. When embedded thoughtfully, supported collaboratively, and aligned with professional values, it can become a natural and meaningful part of students’ learning journeys.
Key Contact Person for Sustainability: Ffion Jones
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