This foundation course explains how dentistry contributes to climate change and ecological degradation, and helps dental care professionals and support staff in primary and secondary care to apply sustainable practices in their work. It offers an overview of the relationship between dentistry, health, and the climate and ecological crises. How are dentistry and healthcare both vulnerable to and contributing to climate change and ecological degradation? What would sustainable dentistry look like? What might the wider benefits be and how can we achieve this? The course also highlights the leadership role dental staff can play in providing care for all within planetary boundaries.
Please select one date:
- Workshop: Thursday 22 February 2024 [13.00-17.00 GMT]
- Self-study period opens: 25 January 2024
If you have booked on a course click here for access.
Pricing structure: £95 - £250 + VAT
Course Description
This short 3-part foundation course is intended as an overview of the field for dental care staff at any level who are new to sustainable healthcare. The training will help you to understand why sustainability matters, then help you to ‘green’ your dental practice using case studies from dentistry and offering tips and tricks for implementing sustainability improvements. The foundation courses also lay the groundwork for developing your skills further in the technical courses.
Sustainable dentistry delivers high quality care without damaging the environment, is affordable now and in the future and delivers positive social impact.
The practice of dentistry consumes enormous quantities of materials, energy, chemicals and water, and produces vast amounts of waste, much of it toxic. A more efficient and sustainable system would not use resources in a way that adversely affects the health of the population or prevent tomorrow's dental professionals from providing care. Sustainable dentistry can also make a significant contribution to the carbon reductions required by the Paris Agreement, the NHS net zero commitments and the wider UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This course is endorsed by 
Learning objectives
- Describe the risks the global environmental crisis presents to human health and healthcare systems.
- Describe the contribution of the health sector, particularly dentistry, to the global environmental crisis.
- Understand the basic principles of carbon literacy.
- Understand how sustainability can help to address existing challenges in the healthcare system.
- Apply the principles of sustainability to dentistry.
- Plan a project to improve the sustainability of healthcare in your workplace.
Course structure
Part I. Self-study module
Prepare for the workshop at your convenience using our interactive online self-study module, presented in bite-sized chunks. You will need about 4-6 hours to complete the self-study materials which cover all course content including background, theory and case studies, with links to further information depending on your level of interest. Discussion points throughout the module allow you to reflect on your learning and start to get to know fellow participants and their areas of interest and work. At the end of the module, you are invited to sketch out a plan for a sustainability project you might want to undertake, in preparation for the workshop discussions. The self-study module opens 4 weeks before, and remains available to you for 6 months after, the workshop. You can see a table of contents for the self study materials here.
Part II. Live workshop online
The 4 hour virtual workshop consolidates your understanding of the course materials. Small group discussions with CSH experts and colleagues from around the world allow further exploration of topics that interest you and tips on how to translate your ideas into action. The timetable includes pre-session technical assistance and networking, followed by a review of the self-study material with Q&A. In breakout groups you will then share your ideas for a sustainability intervention in your setting and make plans to address it, using the range of resources, tools and methods developed by CSH and partners.
Part III. Mentoring
After completing the self-study materials and online workshop you are invited to attend our online Sustainable Healthcare Cafés. The 1 hour cafes occur regularly throughout the year and offer ongoing support for you to put your learning in to practice. They are a friendly, informal setting in which to:
- Get support for sustainability projects from peers and CSH staff
- Make connections with others bringing sustainability projects into their workplace
You are welcome to continue attending the cafes as many times as you wish. Upcoming dates are available here and will also be emailed out to you with your certificate of completion after the workshop.
Pricing Structure
Book here
Book a course with peace of mind: We realise that healthcare workers may have to change their plans at short notice. If you are unable to attend a workshop, we can offer you a workshop at a later date for no charge. We can also offer a refund as long as you cancel before the course opens for self-study, which is 4 weeks before the workshop. There will be an admin fee of £30 for refunds.
Courses are facilitated by experts drawn from the faculty below:
Dr Hayley Pinto, Education and Training Lead, CSH
Hayley was a lead consultant addiction psychiatrist with nearly 30 yrs experience in the NHS and publicly funded services. She is a medical educator, and currently senior honorary lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and has been involved in climate education, outreach, and activism for several years. Hayley also has a degree in psychology and completed general practice training before pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Nuala Hampson, Lead Facilitator for Education
Nuala Hampson is a pharmacist with a background in education, general practice and, more recently, sustainable healthcare. Nuala has worked as a clinical pharmacist in general practice for over 20 years and postgraduate pharmacy education for 15 years. Nuala is passionate about sustainability and enabling others through positive action. She is the sustainability champion at the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, focusing on encouraging individual and organisational change, and is a member of Pharmacy Declares, a group of climate conscious pharmacy professionals based in the UK. Nuala is currently the Lead Facilitator for Education at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
Tracy Doole, Dental Hygienist
Tracy has worked in dentistry for over 15 years, initially as a dental nurse then qualified as a dental hygienist from Queens, Belfast in 2011 and has a post graduate qualification in prescribing radiographs. She chairs the BSDHT Northern Ireland regional group (providing bi-annual scientific conferences), is the clinical representative in Ireland for Young Innovations (delivering innovative, high-quality oral care products and solutions) and volunteers in her community to promote oral health. She is passionate about high quality dental care, reducing barriers to oral health care and sustainability - at home and work.
Amarantha Fennell-Wells, Dentist, Fellow in Sustainable Healthcare
Amarantha Fennell-Wells graduated from Bristol Dental School in 2016 and undertook a Dental Foundation Training. Amarantha completed the full three years of Dental Core Training in a variety of specialties: paediatric, special care and hospital dentistry; dental public health; and a gruelling on-call rota in oral and maxillofacial surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fully appreciating the important contribution that sustainability in healthcare can make in tackling the global climate crisis, Amarantha was thrilled to be appointed in 2020 as the first Welsh Clinical Leadership Fellow in Sustainable Healthcare. Amarantha is a co-founder of Green Health Wales, a national grassroots initiative looking to connect, inspire and empower people in healthcare across Wales to tackle healthcare’s impact on the planet.
Jennifer Lee, Paediatric Dentist
Jenn is a graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, currently completing an MSc in paediatric dentistry at Ohio State University. Her research evaluates the carbon footprint associated with paediatric dental care and aims to inform policies to increase preventative measures and decrease the carbon footprint of dentistry.
Riaz Usmani, Senior Dental Officer
Riaz is a Senior Dental Officer working for Defence Primary Healthcare. He graduated from the University of Dundee in 2002 and holds an MSc from the University of Bristol. He has previously deployed on overseas operations and expeditions and has seen first-hand the effects of climate change. He is keen to promote sustainable practices wherever he can, most recently within healthcare and school settings.
Darshini Ramasubbu, Clinical Fellow in Sustainable Dentistry (Dental Public Health)
Darshini is a practising dentist who recently completed a Masters in Dental Public Health, and in currently pursuing a PhD in sustainable dentistry. In 2017-18 she worked with CSH to promote sustainability in the provision of dental care, and produce teaching materials for Health Education England.
Sheryl Wilmott, Specialty Dentist, Maxillofacial Surgery and Quality Assurance Lead
Sheryl has worked in primary and secondary care dentistry across the UK and with health initiatives in the UK, Peru and Colombia. She has a research Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Manchester and a Future Leaders Fellowship in Research & Innovation. Sheryl is particularly interested in incorporating sustainability teaching into the undergraduate and postgraduate dental curriculum, to create a workforce that is ready to tackle the climate crisis.