Dental practices, like other healthcare providers, generate a range of regulated wastes. It is important that these wastes are properly segregated, disposed of, and ultimately treated to help protect staff, patients, and the community at large.
Proper waste segregation includes separating medical waste from other waste types and placing them into designated containers designed for medical waste storage, collection, and transportation. It can be complicated, and it helps to work with a knowledgeable waste management expert, like Stericycle, to help you make sure that your practice is consistently following the correct processes. The following sections provide information and guidance for dental facilities on how to correctly segregate waste to ensure you are following applicable regulations and best practices for compliant waste management.
What Type of Waste is Generated in Dental Offices and How Should it be Segregated?
Biohazardous medical waste
Medical waste generated from dental procedures including any items saturated with human blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), such as bandages, gauze, personal protective equipment (PPE), or patient bibs belong in a regulated medical waste (RMW) container lined with a red medical waste bag.
Sharps waste
Any item that could puncture the skin and is contaminated with blood or other OPIM should be discarded in a sharps container. Common dental waste items include needles, blades, and wires. Designed to resist punctures, these containers can reduce the chances of needlesticks, which can cause exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Dental practices may opt to use reusable containers as part of their sharps disposal program. These containers are made of hard plastic that can be cleaned and reused.
For facilities that do not generate a large volume of sharps waste, the SafeDrop™ Sharps Mail Back Solution, provides a cost-effective, convenient mail-back disposal option. Disposable sharps containers are shipped to the organization with easy-to-follow instructions and a prepaid return-shipping box.
Amalgam waste
When it comes to properly disposing of any items that contain dental amalgam, there are two main concerns. The first is that amalgam contains both silver and mercury. Those two elements, when being disposed of, constitute hazardous waste. The second concern is that the amalgam may also be contaminated and biohazardous because it has been in contact with oral tissues or fluids. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rules concerning the disposal of hazardous wastes. Additionally, dental offices must ensure that they are following state-specific authorities and regulations in addition to the federal ones.
Dental offices that place or remove amalgam must operate and maintain an amalgam separator and must not discharge scrap amalgam or use certain kinds of line cleaners. Existing and new sources of amalgam must submit a one-time compliance report to their pretreatment Control Authority. Stericycle's Amalgam Solutions provide a convenient method to manage and dispose of amalgam and other mercury waste generated from dental procedures. The Amalgam Separator kit is designed to meet EPA regulations and to help keep mercury out of waterways.
Pharmaceutical waste
Proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste is crucial to preventing diversion and protecting public health and the environment. Medications should not be flushed or improperly discarded, as this can contaminate water supplies. It is essential to determine whether the material is a hazardous waste pharmaceutical or a non-hazardous waste pharmaceutical. The management of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals is regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Once the pharmaceutical waste is categorized, it should be disposed of in the correct container. Hazardous waste pharmaceuticals are typically collected in black containers. The disposal of non-hazardous waste pharmaceuticals may or may not be regulated, depending on your state. Under many of Stericycle’s programs, this type of waste may be placed in blue containers.
In dental practices, proper disposal of protected health information (PHI) is critical for protecting patient privacy and ensuring compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Documents such as patient medical records, insurance forms, and x-rays contain individually identifiable health information, which must be protected. Under HIPAA, healthcare organizations have a legal obligation to keep PHI safeguarded and prevent unauthorized viewing or access. Healthcare organizations must have policies and procedures in place for secure document handling, storage, disposal, and destruction.
A professional secure document and hard drive destruction service, such as Shred-it®, can handle a variety of formats, including stand-alone documents, stapled and paper-clipped packets, old hard drives, x-rays, MRI recordings, and photographs.*
Dental Staff Training
To maintain compliance and help ensure a safe work environment, dental healthcare workers must undergo regular training on various regulatory requirements. Proper training helps protect employees, patients, and the environment while meeting state and federal guidelines. Dental practices should implement structured training programs covering biohazardous waste management, hazardous materials handling, workplace safety, and patient privacy regulations.
Download our info sheet for tips on how to help manage your dental facility’s medical waste.
*Contact Shred-it® for service availability.
