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?
Non-Anatomical 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 biomedical waste container lined with a yellow 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 viruses.
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.
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. Dental practices should dispose of medication waste, including expired, partially used, or contaminated medication or ointments in a safe and compliant manner. Medication waste should be classified and disposed of in the respective containers for pharmaceutical waste, or controlled substance wastage only.
Confidential Information
In dental practices, proper disposal of protected health information (PHI) is critical for protecting patient privacy and ensuring compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). Documents such as patient medical records, insurance forms, and x-rays contain individually identifiable health information, which must be protected.
Under PIPEDA and PHIPA, 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. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a nationwide system that gives employers and workers information about hazardous products used in the workplace. WHMIS training helps ensure workers understand the information on labels and safety data sheets and can apply this knowledge on the job. WHMIS is required by law for everyone working in dental practices.
Fortunately, there are online training modules, such as those offered by Stericycle, which enable organizations to meet Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Training. These easy-to-use tools are available 24/7/365, so staff can complete them at their convenience. The modules also document that training has been completed for situations where the practice must document that training has occurred.
*Contact Shred-it® for service availability.
