Integrating Sustainability Into Dental Education: Students' Knowledge, Behaviours, and Curriculum Perspectives

INTRODUCTION: The healthcare sector contributes approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and dentistry represents a notable environmental burden due to high energy consumption, material use, and medical waste generation. This study aimed to evaluate dental students' awareness, attitudes, and perceptions regarding environmental sustainability and to assess the extent to which sustainability is integrated into the dental curriculum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0. RESULTS: Overall, 82% of students reported being familiar with the concept of sustainability; however, only 28% indicated that sustainability topics were included in their formal education. Students demonstrated generally positive attitudes towards environmentally sustainable dental practises, particularly regarding recycling, energy conservation, and resource management. Significant differences were observed according to gender and year of study in sustainability awareness and perceptions of curriculum integration (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although dental students display positive attitudes towards environmental sustainability, the findings suggest that sustainability is not systematically integrated into the dental curriculum. Integrating sustainability into dental education through clearly defined learning outcomes and structured curriculum development may contribute to the training of environmentally responsible oral healthcare professionals.