Running a dental practice comes with many stresses and strains, and as with anything these days, consumers expect a quality service. People expect transparent pricing, a one-stop shop, trustworthy practitioners, easy access, family friendly and of course, preferably pain and drill free!
But it’s the health and well-being of patients that supersedes all else, and for that, dentists need to ensure they are legally compliant and have the correct tools at their disposal to safely perform their job. Dentistry is a highly-regulated industry, so it’s important a trusted, expert supplier is on hand to advise on legally compliant waste disposal and storage. phs stays on top of all legislative developments affecting the dental industry, providing expert advice on current legislation. Learn more about how phs is supporting dentists here.
In terms of the most recent legislation, from 1st January 2019, dental amalgam must be used only in pre-dosed encapsulated form and amalgam separators will be mandatory. Dentists must ensure that all dental amalgam waste is handled and collected by an authorised waste management establishment¹. As part of phs’ extensive dental product range, we provide an amalgam separator, to prevent hazardous discharge entering a surgery’s waste water stream.
The EU's 2017 Regulation on Mercury has now become UK law, and aims to protect the environment from mercury pollution. The consumption of fish and other seafood contaminated with methylmercury is the main source of mercury exposure for the majority of the general population.
According to the British Dental Association, whilst there is no evidence that the elemental form of mercury present in dental amalgam, which is more stable, poses a health risk to people who have amalgam fillings, when dental amalgam is released into the environment, the mercury it contains can be converted into methylmercury by aquatic microbes. This can then accumulate in the food chain and result in an indirect contribution of dental amalgam to human mercury exposure. As one of the UK’s largest suppliers of dental waste disposal and collection services, phs has many years of experience dealing with the waste disposal needs of dental practices and dental hospitals. In our range we offer a mercury spill kit, designed to provide everything necessary to safely and quickly clean up any spillages of mercury, the World Health Organisation’s number one environmental poison.
It takes time to be an expert in everything to do with managing a safe and compliant dental practice, and that’s where we can help. phs works with over 2,660 dental practices throughout the UK, to meet their waste disposal needs, providing a seamless service for dental sharps, amalgam storage and disposal, teeth and hygiene waste. Find out more about our full range of products and services here.
¹ British Dental Association
