NMDA Journal Fall 2018

Amalgam Separators Soon to Become Law, Not Just Best Practice A conversation with Dr. Don Cohen The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new federal ruling that every dental practice be equipped with an amalgam separator becomes the law of the land in less than two years— on July 14, 2020. The intervening time may seem like a long while to not think about the mandate, but astute dental practices will want to take advantage of the head start and plan for a smooth transition to meeting the requirements. Beyond the pending legal obligation, there is another rationale for early adherence to the separators rule, says Dr. Don Cohen, chief clinical officer of HealthFirst, which offers emergency response and infection control products and compliance solutions. “Nobody wants to see anybody hit the panic button,” Dr. Cohen said. “But on the other hand, if we look at best management practices from the ADA over a number of years, it has been about proper management of amalgamwaste with the utilization of amalgam separation and amalgam buckets, as well.” Both the ADA best practice protocols and the new federal ruling consider that the handling of amalgam is a staple of dentistry, even when minimally done, and call for prudent disposal. “If you ask a dentist about amalgam, the most common answer you tend to get is, ‘Well, I don’t place amalgam. I haven’t placed amalgam in 15 years,’” Dr. Cohen said. “But the next logical response is, ‘Yes, doctor, but you remove amalgam every day. So, what happens to that amalgam that eventually goes through your suction system and then out into the waste water?’” The costs of readying a dental office for the new rule will vary depending on a few factors, Dr. Cohen says, and not every office will need to take the same approach in responding to the new ruling. “To clarify, all dental offices will be required to have an amalgam separator in [about] two years,” Dr. Cohen said. “However, if you already have an amalgam separator you’re going to be given a 10-year grandfather to either replace that device or to confirm that it’s currently usable at the 99% rate.” Those establishing a new practice or growing in the interim may want to account for the pending need for an amalgam separator now instead of later for practical reasons, including saving money and avoiding a hassle, Dr. Cohen suggested. “Even though the installation of these devices is relatively simple, how great to plan on their installation now and even install them now, so that later there is no disruption of having to place these and cut into the lines and so on. So, on a proactive basis, most new offices, especially when we talk about some of the larger group practices, are building these in as of today to avoid any of those future problems, besides the fact that it is a best management practice.” Those who will need to retrofit their practices to add amalgam separators should note that the size and expense of the equipment will depend on variables such as the number of operatories, but installation by a dental distributor is usually quick and relatively easy, Dr. Cohen said. “It is merely a matter of placing it in the right position [so] that it cuts into the line for your suction,” he said. ADA Member Advantage endorsed HealthFirst’s Rebec Environmental CatchHG amalgam separator following an exacting investigation that included an ADA Professional Product Review. Among the product’s benefits, Dr. Cohen said, are “its ability to handle volume; its ability to handle just about any situation. The guarantee is that it offers to be a total solution for one year, minimum. It offers a whole bunch of features. ADABEI conducted a very long and very strenuous process, going through a number of the devices out there before they selected the particular product.” HealthFirst offers discounts to ADA and NMDA members who use HealthFirst’s Amalgam Recovery Program and ADA-member pricing on the Rebec Environmental CatchHG amalgam separator. For more information on the HealthFirst Amalgam Recovery Program, visit http://www.healthfirst.com/ ada/amalgam/. 15 nmdental.org