Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: Analytical hierarchy process based dental waste management in Odisha

Biomedical and dental waste includes biohazardous, hazardous, pharmaceutical, and non-hazardous materials [1]. Improper disposal poses serious health risks, including infections from Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. In India, approximately 300 dental hospitals and 65,000 dental clinics generate an estimated 0.33 million tons of dental waste annually, with inadequate waste management exacerbating environmental and public health concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the need for efficient dental waste management (DWM) strategies [2].

This cross-sectional study employs a structured, data-driven SWOT-AHP (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats-Analytical Hierarchy Process) approach to assess and prioritize improvements in DWM practices in Odisha. Thirty experts-including dental practitioners, hospital administrators, and public health professionals from urban and rural clinics-were selected through purposive sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to identify SWOT factors in the existing DWM system, and pairwise comparisons based on Saaty’s 1–9 scale was conducted to evaluate their relative significance. The AHP method was applied to assign weights and rank the influence of each factor, ensuring logical consistency through consistency ratio (CR) calculations, with values below 0.1 deemed acceptable. The findings highlight key strengths such as regulatory compliance and skilled personnel, while underscoring weaknesses including financial constraints, inadequate segregation, and logistical issues. Opportunities for improvement-such as digital waste tracking technologies and stronger policy support-were explored, though their lower weight in the analysis indicates underutilization. While purposive sampling was effective for capturing expert insights, the limited sample size restricts generalisability [3]. Future research should consider larger, randomised samples and incorporate real-world DWM performance data to enhance external validity and practical relevance. SWOT analysis categorises internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors, while AHP ranks them based on expert evaluations. A purposive sampling technique was employed, involving 30 experts, including academics and dental practitioners. Pairwise comparisons were conducted to assess the significance of various factors, with weights assigned using the AHP method [4, 5].

The SWOT analysis revealed strengths such as administrative support, legal compliance, and trained personnel, especially in tertiary institutions. Weaknesses included inconsistent waste segregation, lack of training at the grassroots level, and high costs of disposal services. Opportunities exist in leveraging digital tracking systems, tapping into public-private partnerships, and adopting newer eco-friendly technologies. However, significant threats remain: limited waste storage space in small clinics, lack of coordination between local bodies, and high initial investment costs for newer waste processing technologies.

 

Technological innovations such as real-time waste tracking systems, barcode-based segregation, and automated auditing tools can significantly enhance DWM efficiency. Policy-level initiatives, including stricter enforcement of biomedical waste rules and incentives for eco-friendly disposal units, offer systemic reform possibilities. The inclusion of these elements could lead to scalable improvements. The SWOT-AHP analysis revealed that strengths had the highest weight (0.338), highlighting their dominant role in DWM effectiveness. Threats (0.329) and weaknesses (0.13) were notable concerns, while opportunities (0.094) had the least impact. AHP-based ranking identified financial issues (GW: 0.15), data incompleteness (GW: 0.148), and logistical complexities (GW: 0.14) as the most pressing challenges requiring immediate attention.