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Third-year dental student Shen Jia Jing won the 2022 European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) Undergraduate Essay Competition
Shen Jia Jing, a third-year dental student, won the 2022 EFP Undergraduate Essay Competition. The essay title was “How can the clinical practise and science of Periodontology be developed to ensure environmental sustainability?”
Jia Jing was introduced to the competition by Associate Professor Fu Jia Hui, who supported her every step of the way.
“Growing up, nature expeditions and conservation trips, coupled with hours of watching documentaries and reading discovery box magazines, fuelled my love for the environment. However, it never crossed my mind that we can practise sustainability in Dentistry and the field of Periodontics. Reading up on this topic sent me spiralling down a rabbit hole as I discovered more about the vast amount of waste generated from our dental practices,” explained Jia Jing.
The Dentistry profession generates nearly three per cent of the annual carbon footprint, with loads of plastic waste through single-use products and waste products from the manufacturing processes of dental supplies.
As part of the award, Jia Jing was invited to attend EuroPerio10, an international periodontics and implant dentistry meeting in Copenhagen. There, she had the opportunity to listen to experts from around the world whose publications and research have remodelled and transformed the field of periodontics and implants.
Shen Jia Jing (first from left) at EuroPerio10 with fellow attendees
“It was an eye-opening experience for me and an honour to be in the same space with people who came up with theories I learned in school. I also enjoyed meeting people from different parts of the world and learning more about their cultures and countries. Sustainability was a big part of the meeting as well. Meals were sourced from nearby farms to minimise carbon emissions. The organisers provided conference delegates with complimentary transport passes to encourage the use of public transport. I think these small actions can make a tremendous difference to our Earth. Let us all be more mindful of and practise sustainability – Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Rethink!” Jia Jing concluded.
Here are some of her takeaways on how the Dentistry profession can help contribute to environmental sustainability:
- Reducing the use of single-use products by replacing them with sterilisable or biodegradable ones.
- Reusing specific dental consumables, such as clinical gowns. Reusable gowns have a two- to three-fold reduction in water and carbon emissions and a seven-fold reduction in waste generation.
- Recycling disposed items by effectively separating recyclables from non-recyclables will reduce waste and replenish resources.
- Rethinking current practices. For example, embracing digitalisation will reduce paper consumption and save trees.