Medina County Sanitary Engineering Department DENTAL – BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The Medina County Sanitary Engineering Department (MCSE) requires all dental practices that place or remove dental amalgam to use Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce the amount of amalgam waste released to the environment and sanitary sewer system.

The following list has been developed by the American Dental Association and may be used to fulfill the minimum BMP requirements.

Maintain a log of amalgam waste generation and recycling/disposal. Documentation of all amalgam waste recycling and disposal must be obtained from your recycler or hazardous waste hauler, kept on file a minimum of three years, and made available to MCSE upon request.

DO DON'T

Do use pre-capsulated alloys and stock a variety of Don't use bulk mercury capsule sizes

Don't put used disposable amalgam capsules in Do recycle used disposable amalgam capsules biohazard containers, infectious waste containers (red bags) or regular garbage

Don't put non-contact amalgam waste in biohazard Do salvage, store and recycle non-contact amalgam containers, infectious waste containers (red bags) or (scrap amalgam) regular garbage

Don't put contact amalgam waste in biohazard Do salvage (contact) amalgam pieces from restorations containers, infections waste containers (red bags) or after removal and recycle the amalgam waste regular garbage

Do use chair-side traps to retain amalgam and recycle the Don't rinse chair-side traps containing amalgam over content drains or sinks

Do recycle contents retained by the vacuum pump filter Don't rinse vacuum pump filters containing amalgam or or other amalgam collection device, if they contain other amalgam collection devices over drains or sinks amalgam

Do recycle teeth that contain amalgam restorations Don't dispose of extracted teeth that contain amalgam (Note: Ask your recycler whether or not extracted teeth restorations in biohazard containers, infectious waste with amalgam restorations require disinfection) containers (red bags) or regular garbage

Do manage amalgam waste through recycling as much as Don't flush amalgam waste down the drain or toilet possible

Do use line cleaners that minimize dissolution of Don't use bleach or chlorine-containing cleaners to flush amalgam wastewater lines