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The ever-increasing world population, uncontrolled developing industrialization, and urbanization mixing of harmful chemicals to the environment, water, and soil cause environmental pollution and increase environmental problems. Sustainability is ensuring the continuity of the diversity and productivity of the systems. Sustainability aims to transfer natural resources for the future generations. Because of rising financial costs, growing demand, and a high environmental burden, there is a risk that the current existing healthcare facilities will not be sustainable in the future. Dentists must understand the General Dental Council guidelines as well as the relationship between planetary and human health in their practice. The issues associated with global warming are becoming more widely recognized, but there is a lack of understanding about how to become more environmentally friendly. This study aims to eliminate this lack of understanding, raise awareness on this issue, open up a new horizon in every dentist and prevent environmental problems that we will encounter today and in the future. This study will inform dentists and dental students about examining the practices of our profession, both personally and professionally, in a way that contributes to the solution of environmental problems. It will also inform us about integrating sustainable development aims into everyday activities in the pursuit of a healthy life and prosperity for all at all levels of life., Sürekli artış gösteren dünya nüfusu, kontrolsüz gelişen sanayileşme ve kentleşme, zararlı kimyasalların çevreye, suya ve toprağa karışması çevre kirliliğine neden olmakta ve çevre sorunlarının artmasına sebep olmaktadır. Sürdürülebilirlik, sistemlerin çeşitliliğinin ve verimliliğinin sürekliliğini sağlamaktır. Sürdürülebilirlik ile doğal kaynakların gelecek nesillere aktarılması hedeflenmektedir. Artan finansal maliyetler, artan talep ve yüksek çevresel yük nedeniyle, gelecekte mevcut sağlık hizmetleri imkanlarının sürdürülememe tehlikesi söz konusudur. Her diş hekimi gelecekte de aynı imkanları hastalarına sunabilmek için, uygulamalarında Genel Dişhekimliği Konseyi yönergelerini, gezegen ve insan sağlığı arasındaki ilişkiyi anlamalıdır. Gün geçtikçe küresel ısınma gibi konular daha geniş bir şekilde kabul görmeye başlıyor, ancak nasıl daha çevre dostu olunacağı konusunda bir anlayış eksikliği vardır. Bu çalışma, sürdürülebilirlik alanında olan anlayış eksikliğini gidermeyi, bu konuda farkındalık yaratmayı, diş hekimlerine yeni bir ufuk açmayı, bugün ve gelecekte karşılaşacağımız çevre sorunlarının önüne geçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmamız, diş hekimlerini ve dişhekimliği öğrencilerini mesleğimizin uygulamalarını hem kişisel hem de profesyonel olarak sorunların çözümüne katkı sağlayacak şekilde sürdürülebilirlik konusunda bilgilendirecektir. Ayrıca, sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedeflerini günlük uygulamaya entegre etme, yaşamın her seviyesinde sağlıklı bir yaşam ve refaha ulaşma konuları üzerine bilgi verecektir.

Background: Acceleration of mass vaccination strategies is the only pathway to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals and students have a key role in shaping public opinion about vaccines. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of dental students globally towards COVID-19 vaccines and explore the potential drivers for students’ acceptance levels. Methods: A global cross-sectional study was carried out in February 2021 using an online questionnaire. The study was liaised by the scientific committee of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS), and data were collected through the national and local coordinators of IADS member organizations. The dependent variable was the willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and the independent variables included demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experience, and the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine-related attitude suggested by the WHO SAGE. Results: A total of 6639 students from 22 countries, representing all world regions, responded to the questionnaire properly. Their mean age was 22.1 ± 2.8 (17–40) years, and the majority were females (70.5%), in clinical years (66.8%), and from upper-middle-income economies (45.7%). In general, 22.5% of dental students worldwide were hesitant, and 13.9% rejected COVID-19 vaccines. The students in low- and lower-middle-income (LLMI) economies had significantly higher levels of vaccine hesitancy compared to their peers in upper-middle- and high-income (UMHI) economies (30.4% vs. 19.8%, p &lt, 0.01). Conclusions: The global acceptance level of dental students for COVID-19 vaccines was suboptimal, and their worrisome level of vaccine hesitancy was influenced by the socioeconomic context where the dental students live and study. The media and social media, public figures, insufficient knowledge about vaccines, and mistrust of governments and the pharmaceutical industry were barriers to vaccination. The findings of this study call for further implementation of epidemiology (infectious diseases) education within undergraduate dental curricula.