US students’ perceptions on environmental sustainability in dental school

Objectives At present, there are no published reports assessing pre‐doctoral curricular experience or participatory involvement with Environmental Sustainability in Dentistry (ESD) in the United States. This study aims to assess whether students enrolled in US dental schools receive any training with ESD and gauge dental students’ level of interest and attitudes regarding ESD within their dental education. Methods A descriptive cross‐sectional study utilizing a 16‐questions validated survey was conducted on Qualtrics. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. Results A total of 378 dental students from 17 US dental schools participated (response rate 5%). Students reported that ESD was “quite” or “extremely” important (83%). However, 75% of students reported being “not at all” or “slightly” knowledgeable. Only 5% reported ESD content in their dental education. Students suggested that ESD could be integrated into existing coursework relating to infection control, practice management, and dental public health. Conclusion By understanding students’ level of interest, attitudes toward importance, and current level of curricular content on ESD, dental educators can develop best practices for educating future practitioners on environmental sustainability.