Dental waste laws are closely practiced by all dental professionals because it is not only regulation to follow the rules but they want to keep the public safe and healthy.
In 2004, the Western Australian government put in place strict waste management laws.
Dental O So Gentle is one of the many practices that upholds these laws, and practices each of the listed guidelines perfectly, they don’t just look after your teeth and gums, they look after your overall health too.
Here are some important tips that we will delve into, feel free to note them down as we go through them all.
Clinical waste and what it’s all about:
Clinical waste, as the name says, is any waste produced by the healthcare sector while they are performing their jobs.
If they use these dangerous materials that can cause diseases and infections, then they are accountable and responsible for the management of all employees and contracted services, that they ensure and uphold the safe management and disposal of clinical and other related wastes
Clinical wastes can include medicines, bandages, swabs, needles, animal or human tissues and old used dressings. Most of the clinical wastes come from Dental practices, doctor’s clinics and hospitals, this waste can be categorized as sharps, infectious, cytotoxic, medicinal, or offensive.
The main dental wastes are:
- Dental amalgam, this is a mixture of metals and mercury, which are mostly used in teeth fillings.
- Restroom wastes and sanitary waste
- Plastic waste like cups or oral care products.
- Dangerous materials like Dental radiographic waste.
- Expired medication
- Utilized sterilization pouches
How to Properly Recycle and Dispose of Dental Wastes:
Patient safety is one of the reasons most dental clinics use disposable products, and for its convenience, most products are then single-use and disposed of.
The Australian Dental Association has cautioned single use items because it would prefer dentists to practice sustainability. Nonetheless, there are guidelines available which assist you in reducing any dental waste. It is important to first know the products you can recycle.
1. Know what you can Recycle:
It’s basic knowledge that you can’t recycle all dental materials, there are so many recyclable dental items, some are oral care packaging, dental tools and toothbrushes.
Dental waste auditing is very important to carry out as it will help you separate recyclable and disposable items. A case in point, you can recycle dental amalgam waste. The mercury extracted during the distillation recovery process can get a new life in new products.
2. Strategize your recycling:
A clear and well thought out recycling plan is the first step to getting your recycling under control and up to regulation standards. After doing your audit, you can now put your recycling strategy to use. It is important to place all your colour-coded bins in every room for your staff to use by disposing all dental waste appropriately.
3. Educate your Staff:
An important part of the recycling journey is training your staff, so they can maintain the highest standards for your clients and keep themselves safe. Each item has a special coloured bin or package to be placed safely in and then cleared at the end of each day. Segregation is required to ensure safty for all and must be maintained during handling, interim transport, storage and right through to transportation to a site for final disposal.
4. Engaging a Waste Management Company:
It is imperative to involve a qualified waste management company that will assist you to dispose of all of the waste safely.
All WA Health facilities have a responsibility to ensure clinical waste is prepared
appropriately for safe transport, and that licensed carriers (as stipulated in the
Controlled Waste Regulations) are contracted to transport and track their waste to the
disposal site in accordance with all of the government regulations for the health and safety for all concerned.
Reduce Dental Waste:
While it is important to dispose and recycle dental waste properly, it is also important to consider reducing the overall waste.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Use sterilized equipment and reusable gloves.
- Avoid using paper or plastic but rather go for washable lab coats
- Don’t use disposable cups but go for ceramic or glass cups.
- Go digital when it comes to patient records.
- Biodegradable products are the way to go.
Emergency Response/ Contingency Plans:
All organisations that are involved with the storage, removal, transport or disposal of waste must have a
detailed emergency procedures plan available for all their staff, on how to safely manage accidental or deliberate spillages.
Staff within these organisations must understand all the elements of the plan and have clear
knowledge of their own responsibilities within that plan, if everyone knows what to do in the emergency, it will go smoother and reduce the hazards.
You cannot underestimate how critical dental waste management is by making it your goal to efficiently dispose of wastes properly, which means you have made it better for your business and the environment too.