Knowledge and awareness of plastic use among the dental community from two universities: a multicenter observational study

Plastic materials are very widely used in daily dental practice despite the environmental problems they cause worldwide. Among the wide variety of alternatives that aim to reduce the amount of plastic used, the implementation of a protocol based on the 4 R’s (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) to mitigate the impact of plastic in dental practice without increasing the risk of infection thus seems to be a good approach for reducing the problem. Our survey revealed that plastic products are abundantly used in dentistry. The overall most frequently used plastic products in both universities were gloves, followed by aspiration cannulas and sterilized plastic bags. Both students and teachers showed a lack of knowledge, their uce in the dental clinie Denticte regarding the overall use and handling of plastic products following their use in the dental clinic. Dentists need to receive further education on the plastic products used in the dental field.