Dental Waste Categories and Specialized Medical Waste Services to Manage them
Managing medical waste is a major environmental challenge for the healthcare industry, including dental clinics that deal with large volumes of waste every day.
Decades ago, dental facilities used to dispose of medical waste by flushing them down the toilet or dumping it down the drain without realizing its implications. However, due to rolling out strict health regulations in the US, those ill practices have given way to effective dental waste disposal.
Similar to hospitals and physician’s offices, dental clinics produce certain categories of medical waste daily. This biohazardous waste requires storage, management, and disposal through a proper process according to the local, state, and federal regulations.
There are mainly four categories of dental waste that dental clinics generate. Here they are:
Amalgam Waste
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out a dental amalgam regulation on July 14, 2020, for all existing and new dental clinics that discharge dental amalgam. Dental clinics have been using dental amalgam or silver fillings for many decades to fill the cavities of patients. The amalgam contains various substances, such as a powered alloy of silver, liquid mercury, tin, and copper.
The waste produced from amalgam comes in different forms and requires careful disposal to ensure your dental practice adheres to the regulations and keeps patients, employees, and visitors safe. Some examples of the amalgam wastes are below:
Scrap amalgam
Vacuum pump filters that contain amalgam
Injectors with amalgam used in dental procedures
Dental Mercury Waste with amalgam
Discarded amalgam capsules
Removed teeth with amalgam fillings
Waste items with amalgam contamination
Pharmaceutical Waste
Expired or unused medications also fall in the category of dental waste and must be safely discarded by complying with the guidelines. Employees at dental clinics need to be familiar with the state regulations and follow protocols for proper waste disposal. A local medical waste management company can guide the staff about the proper storing method of waste and not flush or throw away pharmaceutical trash in regular trash bins.
Sharps Waste
Dental clinics extensively use sharps and needles for dental treatments. They also administer medicines like Novocain and others for dental procedures. The staff at dental clinics should carefully dispose of used sharps and needles in a sharps container approved by FDA. These containers should never get overfilled, and a licensed medical waste disposal company must pick up and dispose of the waste.
Biohazardous Waste
Dental clinics produce biohazardous waste in various forms during dental procedures and treatments. They generate wastes such as blood-soaked gloves, gauze, cotton balls, dressings, extracted teeth, and others, and all this waste needs to be disposed of through a secure process.
Disposing of all the medical waste produced in your dental clinic is the key to remaining compliant and protecting patients, staff, and others. A local medical and dental waste management company can provide full service to dispose of all the waste.
How a Local Medical Waste Disposal Company Can Help You
Partnering with a leading local medical waste management company will help you dispose of all the dental waste. From amalgam scrap to biohazardous sharps, the medical waste management service provider can take care of hazardous waste with reliable, efficient, and affordable services.
A local company can help you manage all the critical aspects of your waste disposal, protecting the people around by removing the risk associated with handling hazardous materials.
A professional medical waste management company focuses on providing streamlined services that minimize any disruption of regular activities at your facility. The company will also demonstrate accountability in scheduling pick-ups and educating your staff about proper handling/storing waste, complying with state and federal regulations and protocols.
In short, your local medical waste disposal company takes care of your dental waste needs, so your team of health professionals can serve your patients well.
After identifying and storing medical waste, a specialized waste disposal company also takes full responsibility for transporting and disposing of the waste. The company may also work together to develop a service model to simplify waste handling. Such uncomplicated waste management solutions will potentially keep costs minimal and make your dental health facility compliant and your staff safe.
A complete range of waste management, including medical waste, biohazardous sharps, and pharmaceuticals
Collecting and treating hazardous dental waste, such as amalgam scrap, dental mercury waste, and fixer.
Providing local services relating to waste collection and treatment with supplying secured containers.
Imparting compliance training to dentists and other staff on OSHA and HIPAA regulations
Providing responsive customer support whenever you need it.
Conclusion
Whether your dental clinic produces a moderate or high volume of medical waste daily or occasionally, DMI Solutions is always ready to assist. Our streamlined and safe dental waste disposal procedure will take care of your every medical waste management need. Besides, our compliance specialists are ready to answer all your questions regarding infection prevention and OSHA compliance.
If you are looking for comprehensive waste disposal solutions for your dental clinic, call us at +1 800-455-7747 for more details, or send an email to info@dmisolutionsinc.com, and we will be glad to assist you.
