Medical Waste management is one of the main ecological challenges we face, especially to the Dental Practitioners who deal with regulated medical waste every day. BioSecure, with our comprehensive waste solution services, is proud to assist Dental Offices/Clinics with their medical waste management. Below are listed different types of Dental Medical/Clinical Waste and effective ways of its disposal:
Hazardous Waste -Hazardous waste refers to products that are inflammable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive or pose some other risk to human health or environment. These materials enter the environment as a byproduct of dental procedures, such as when amalgam restorations are eliminated, and high-speed suction lines carry the material to the wastewater stream. X-ray fixer and developer are the best examples of this waste type. OSHA & EPA have established various regulations for hazardous dental clinical waste disposal.
Dental Sharps and Bio Waste Disposal -Sharps refers to the instruments that can cut or pierce the human skin and expose the skin to contaminated articles, resulting in diseases like HIV and Hepatitis. Sharps dental/clinical waste disposal is done in the rigid, leakage-free containers that are further handled/transported and disposed by a different process. While, medical bio waste is packed in a leak- and puncture-resistant disposal plastic bag of a leak-proof container with a universal biohazard symbol.
Amalgam Waste -Dental Amalgam prepared to be used as dental fillings comprise of a mixture of metals, like silver, copper, and tin, in addition to mercury which binds the component into a hard substance. When talking about this category, the common dental amalgam wastes produced are:
- Clean unused scrap amalgam which includes excess material and damaged capsules (non-contact amalgam)
- Used amalgam (contact amalgam) including sink trap cleanout
- Amalgam contained in extracted teeth.
The dental amalgam waste should never be disposed in the garbage, sharps containers or in the drain. In addition to this, dental offices must follow the two best practices of waste management recommended by the ADA. These two practices are as mentioned below:
- Restrict the discharge of waste (scrap) amalgam from chairside traps, vacuum pump filters, screens, dental tools, etc.
- Prevent the use of line cleaners that may lead to the dissolution of solid mercury while cleaning chairside traps and vacuum lines.
Pharmaceutical Waste -Pharmaceutical waste is the type of waste containing medicinal drugs that are expired, unused, contaminated damaged or not further in use. Besides hazardous and amalgam waste management, dental clinics also need to consider the pharmaceutical waste generated, and the proper way to dispose of it.
BioSecure is here to assist. Please contact us today for a FREE/ No-Obligation Perspective.