Very small
pieces of amalgam are released when a dentist places or removes a restoration.
These pieces usually collect in the office’s wastewater, which goes into the
public sewer system. Amalgamseparators can be used to collect the amalgam pieces so they can be recycled
rather than enter the sewer system. An amalgam separator is designed to
remove amalgam particles from the wastewater of a dental treatment center to
reduce the number of amalgam particles and, therefore, the amount of amalgam
entering the sewage system.
By installing an
amalgam separator, your office will be removing up to 99.9% of the amalgam from
the waste stream, thereby doing your part to eliminate mercury pollution in the
environment. Chair side traps collect the large chunks of amalgam down to
approximately 0.7mm when restorations are placed or removed. A wet vacuum
filter system is capable of removing particles down to 0.42mm (40 mesh), when
the fine filter is installed. Chair side
traps combined with a vacuum filter can remove 40-80% of the total mass of
amalgam particles from the vacuum line system. With the installation of an
approved amalgam separator and proper operation of the amalgam removal system,
dental offices can prevent up to 99.9% of their amalgam waste from entering the
sanitary sewer system and contributing to the accumulations of mercury in our
lakes and streams. Not all amalgam separators are equally effective. It is
important to perform routine maintenance on amalgam separators to ensure that
they are serving their intended purpose of amalgam removal. Failure to perform
maintenance and change cartridges or collector boxes when full can lead to
bypass of the system and discharges of mercury in the wastewater.
The air
compressor is the heart of the dental surgery and after the surgeon is arguably
the most important piece of equipment. Without
ultra clean compressed air the hand pieces, scalers, 3/1 syringe, delivery units
or chair valves won’t function. Air is also used to dry the tooth surface, when
bonding composites for example. If the surface isn’t absolutely clean and dry the
bonding process will not work and the patient will be back complaining! Air abrasion
uses air to gently blast abrasive onto the tooth surface, it could be disastrous
if dirty or wet air clogged the abrasive medium together. Consequently, the air
must be of the very highest standard of cleanliness to protect the patient from
infection, to ensure the correct adhesion of composites and long term
performance of the dental equipment itself. Air compressors that aren’t built specifically for
dental use cannot deliver dental quality air and ultimately puts both your
patients and your instruments at risk. Dental air compressors are the only
solution to ensure clean and dry air for instruments and patients. Dental air
compressors protect instruments against premature failure. Dental air compressors
protect the integrity of your work without the oil vapors that can compromise
dental restorative materials such as bonding agents. Dental air compressors
ensure that the compressed air has a neutral taste and odor. Dentists should
select a model with dry reliability.
