Psychological Drivers of Sustainable Practices in Prosthodontics: The Role of PractitionerAttitudes in the Adoption of Eco-Friendly Dental Materials and Techniques

Sustainable dentistry; Prosthodontics; Eco-friendly materials; Practitioner attitudes; Green dentistry; Behavioral theory; Digital dentistry; Environmental sustainability

Sukriti Khanna1
1
Research Scholar Department of
Psychology
University
Name:
Chandigarh University, Punjab Email
ID:
Sukriti.khanna25@gmail.com
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/00090001-9367-5079

Dr. Raskirat Kaur2
2
Assistant Professor Department of
Psychology
Chandigarh University,
Punjab
Email
ID:
raskiratkaur@gmail.com
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/00000002-2986-7244
complex, jeddah, Saudi Arabia Email:
Drlindamirza2008@gmail.com

Received: 16.01.2026
Revised: 23.01.2026
Accepted: 30.01.2026

European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry (2026) 34 (1s), 42–53

Psychological
Drivers
of
Sustainable
Practices
in
Prosthodontics: The Role of
Practitioner Attitudes in the
Adoption of Eco-Friendly
Dental
Materials
and
Techniques

Objectives: This review will investigate the psychological elements that facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices in the dental field of prosthodontics, and focus on the attitudes of practitioners towards the use of eco-friendly dental materials and techniques. Methods: Narrative review methodology was used to synthesize the existing literature on the environmental effects of the practice of prosthodontics, psychological models of behavior, practitioner attitudes, and sustainable innovations. Theories of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm theory, Health Belief Model and Diffusion of Innovation theory have been discussed with reference to dental practice. Findings: The findings suggest that practitioner attitudes, awareness of the environment, and perceived behavior control play a significant role in adopting sustainable practices. The implementation is hindered by barriers like cost, limited availability of eco-friendly material, and the workflow factors which are facilitated by education, institutional support, and digital technologies. All the psychological models explain the effect of values, beliefs and social forces on sustainable decision-making. Conclusions: A comprehensive approach to sustainable prosthodontics involves behavioral, technological, and institutional strategies. It is important that psychological determinants are addressed in order to facilitate the development of environmentally friendly practices. Clinical Relevance: Knowledge on practitioner behavior can also help improve the uptake of sustainable materials and techniques, resulting in an environmentally responsible provision of prosthodontic care without jeopardizing clinical outcomes.

1. INTRODUCTION Sustainability of the environment has become a burning issue in the field of healthcare systems on the global level, due to the growing level of awareness of climate change, depletion of resources, and ecological degradation. Although committed to enhancing human health, the healthcare sector, ironically enough, is a major contributor to environmental degradation through its energy use, waste products, and emission of greenhouse gases. Medical activities contribute to almost 4-5 percent of global carbon emissions, which underscores the need to radically change the nature of medical activities by adopting sustainable transformation [1]. It is in this greater framework that dentistry, and more specifically prosthodontics, is a respected but influential •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ejprd.org - Published by Riset Publishing Services LLC

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