If you are working in dentistry, you already know about the harmful wastes are produced in the dentist’s office on a daily basis. Because of this, the necessity of proper West Palm bio-hazardous waste removal is evident to all.
What are the medical wastes that can be generated in the dentist’s office?
Amalgam scraps that contain mercury, cements with zinc base, X-ray solutions and other toxic elements are today just some of those left after a dental procedure that require West Palm bio-hazardous waste removal. Add certain sharps and blood to this and you can see what a typical dentist office has to deal with on a daily basis.
Discarding Cements
Cements in dentistry contain residues of Zinc Phosphate. This is a waster pollutant and it is recommended to use alternative products that are sans zinc. If zinc cements are used, however, all necessary bio-hazardous waste removal precautions must be taken not to allow the zinc to get into the drains. This, for instance, includes wiping traces of dental cements off the spatula cleaning it over a waste can, rather than over a sink.
Amalgam Recycling
Amalgam is an alloy used for dental fillings. As such, it is one of the most commonly things used in dentistry. Unfortunately, it consists a great toxic threat, mercury. Because of this, the ISA (International Safety Association) has issued a recommendation to all dentists to stop using amalgam in bulk. If there is a bulk of mercury waste, it should promptly be sent to recycling. Again, amalgam should not be allowed into the sewer and it is kept away from regular trash. Instead, medical waste management procedures are taken to collect and store it in special containers for reuse.
Acids Removal
A product with a PH of over 7 is considered to be “acidic”. Anything with a PH of more than 10 is “highly acidic”, and less than PH of 5 is “highly alkaline”. These should not be discarded into the sink, or disposed with the normal waste.
X-Ray Cleaners Disposal
X-ray cleaners contain an element toxic to the human body called chromium. A dentist should not dispose of the cleaners into the drain. Instead, an alternative bio-hazardous waste removal method needs to be used here.
Sharps Disposal
Like in any other medical-related profession, sharps, such as needles, are commonly used in dentistry, as well. Anesthetic needles and syringes, root canal files and other sharps used by dentists can easily be infected by patient’s blood. These, after use, should immediately be placed inside a hard plastic sharps container and from there, either destroyed in an incinerator or, preferably, put in the autoclave for disinfection and sterilization by highly pressurized steam.
Conclusion
As you can see, dentist have to worry not just about the kinds of medical waste that they generate, but also about their type. A lot of their waste is not only harmful to human beings, but to the environment as well. Without a proper West Palm bio-hazardous waste removal to serve as a barrier here, an ordinary dentist practice would in fact be doing more harm than good sometimes.