The widespread use of disposable dental supplies perpetuates the United States’ dependency on petroleum, according to the Eco-Dentistry Association™ (EDA), an international association promoting environmentally sound practices in dentistry. Single-use plastics, such as chair covers and sterilization pouches, are made from oil.

The EDA points out that environmentalism is not just about turning off the lights. Many dental practitioners don’t think about the "embodied energy" hiding in everyday dental supplies. For example, a single plastic sterilization pouch represents 60 watts of embodied energy, which is the same amount of energy as leaving a 60-watt incandescent light bulb turned on for 5 hours.

"Embodied energy represents all the energy used in the life cycle of an item, from raw material to its final resting place," said Susan Beck, director of the EDA. "The biggest offenders for hidden embodied energy in the typical dental office are disposables. Because disposables are by definition single-sue, the return on the energy investment for the product is extremely low. Tremendous energy resources are used to extract raw materials, which are generally petroleum-based, to create a product that is manufactured, packaged, shipped, stored, and then shipped again to a dental practice to be used once. Additional energy is consumed to transport that product to a landfill, where it may sit for thousands of years."

The EDA recommends choosing reusable or compostable dental supplies, such as cloth infection control barriers and sterilization pouches and plastic-free rinse and swish cups, whenever possible.

Additionally, the EDA points out that reusable supplies can cut supply costs. For instance, a large disposable autoclave pouch costs about 20 cents per use, while a reusable pouch costs about half as much.