Mercury Safe Dentistry
Note to Our Valued PatientsThe American Dental Association (ADA) lists the sources of mercury exposure at the dental office, including removing amalgam fillings and polishing them. It also recommends that all personnel involved in the handling of mercury and dental amalgam be trained in the potential hazards of mercury vapor and the necessity of observing good mercury hygiene (Occupational Mercury Safe). This article proves that the ADA strongly promotes Mercury Safe dentistry. We want our patients to know that as an Occupationally Mercury Safe Dental Office we follow the ADA recommendations, even going behind what they suggest we do to protect the patient. |
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Dental mercury hygiene recommendations
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(although the ADA recommends against the use of bulk elemental mercury); trituration, placement and condensation of amalgam; GENERAL MERCURY HYGIENE RECOMMENDATIONS
OFFICE ENGINEERING
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HYGIENE RECOMMENDATIONS DURING PREPARATION AND PLACEMENT OF AMALGAM
MANAGEMENT OF MERCURY SPILLS
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MANAGEMENT OF SMALL MERCURY SPILLS MANAGEMENT OF LARGE MERCURY SPILLS This report was prepared on behalf of the ADA Council on Scientific
Affairs by Division of Science staff members Dr. Yasser Elseweifi; P.L. Fan, Ph.D.; Kathleen Todd; and Roger Connolly. Address reprint requests to American Dental Association, Council on Scientific Affairs, 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. 1. ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. Dental mercury hygiene recommendations. JADA 1999;130:1125-6. 2. American Dental Association. Best management practices for amalgam waste. Chicago: American Dental Association; 2003. 3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Standard interpretations. (1996) PEL for inorganic mercury is a time weighted average, not a ceiling. Available at: “www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/ owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id= 23866&p_text_version=FALSE”. Accessed April 17, 2003. 4. National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety. Occupational health guidelines for inorganic mercury. Available at: “www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/0383.pdf”. Accessed April 8, 2003. 5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Purdue University. Mercury in buildings. Available at: “pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~mercury/src/ frame.htm”. Accessed March 24, 2003. 6. Virginia Commonwealth University, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Chemical/Biological Safety Section. Mercury spills. Available at: “www.vcu.edu/oehs/chemical/mercuryspills.html”. Accessed March 25, 2003. 7. Prince Edward Island [Canada] Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Environment. Guidelines for the safe clean-up of household mercury spills. Available at: “www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ fae_mercury.pdf”. Accessed April 8, 2003. 8. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. (2003). Cleaning up small mercury spills. Available at: “www.michigan.gov/deq/1,1607,7- 135-3585_4127_4175-11751--,00.html”. Accessed March 24, 2003 |
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Copyright ©2003 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
JADA, Vol. 134, November 2003 1499
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