Regulated Medial Waste Removal in Dental Offices

2015/04/16

Regulated Medial Waste Removal in Dental Offices

Are you opening a dental practice? Or maybe you've been running one for years and want to make sure your medical waste disposal procedures are still in compliance? Then you've come to the right place. Today, our Maryland medical waste removal specialists are here to discuss the types of waste and disposal protocols applicable to dental practices.

Regulated Medical Waste

Keep in mind that only regulated medical waste requires special treatment and proper disposal. Not all waste generated by your dental practice will be regulated or even medical. For example, when a patient wraps a bubble gum in a tissue before his appointment and throws it into trash, that's not medical waste. Similarly, a cotton ball that you dropped on the floor by accident may be medical waste, but it's not regulated. Typically, medical waste is regulated when it's contaminated with blood, saliva or other potentially infectious bodily fluids. So, a cotton ball will become regulated medical waste if it's soaked with blood. There are also varieties of hazardous and pathological waste your practice may produce that require specific disposal procedures as well.

Types of Regulated Medical Waste in Dental Practices

Sharps Waste: needles, scalpels, blades orthodontic wires (in some states), dental probes and scalers, glass etc. Biohazardous waste: blood-saturated swabs, cotton balls, gauze, etc. Pathological waste: extracted teeth (in some states), tissue and bone fragments Hazardous waste: dental amalgam (including chair-side amalgam traps, amalgam filling materials and residues, amalgam capsules and extracted teeth that contain amalgam), lead foil, x-ray film, certain disinfectants, adhesives and processing chemicals.

How to Dispose of Regulated Medical Waste

The specific ways of disposal of the above regulated medical waste will depend on the type of waste, whether it's solid, liquid, hazardous or sharp. All waste needs to be properly collected at the point of generation and securely bagged according to the OSHA, CDC and EPA regulations. Certain dental instruments may be considered reusable and can be sterilized through on-site autoclaving, or transported to a third-party facility for sterilization. Single-use instruments and other types of regulated medical waste will need to be disposed of through a registered medical waste removal company such as BWS.

Getting Started with Your Dental Practice

If you are considering opening your own dental practice and don't have much experience with medical waste removal, you can get started by exploring the following resources:

Waste Management in Dental Office (NCBI/NIH)
Recommended Infection Control Practices for Dentistry (CDC)
A Guide to Compliance with OSHA Standards for Medical & Dental Offices (OSHA)
Maryland Occupational Safety & Health Consultation Program (DLLR)
Managing Sharps and Other Hazardous Waste in the Dental Office
Managing Regulated Waste in Dental Environments

Keep in mind that medical waste generated by your dental practice may fall under the jurisdiction of several federal and state organizations, such as CDC, OSHA, EPA, as well as Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene if you are in Maryland. It can be confusing to figure out exactly which rules you need to follow to ensure compliance. As your Maryland waste removal partner, BWS will be happy to help you with advice and guidance. We work with many small and large dental offices and medical practices, and we are familiar with the type of medical waste removal services they typically require. If you have any questions, feel free to call us or contact online to speak with one of our medical waste removal experts.

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Our Dedication to Providing the Highest Quality Regulated Waste Services
is Shown in What Our Clients Say About Our Work

We provide an outstanding value and service to our regulated waste customers and pride ourselves over the last 50 years on our 100% customer satisfaction with 99% customer retention ratio.

“Our office has been utilizing the services of Biomedical Waste Services, Inc. (BWS) for well over a decade. Their caring, dedicated, and professional team have made it an absolute pleasure to do business with. They are always prompt and courteous in providing whatever service we ask of them. We highly recommend them for your practice!!”

Paul R Miller, D.D.S. and Team

“Our experience with BWS has been uniformly positive. Their services are prompt, professional, and reliable. Their prices are fair and upfront, with no hidden or recurring charges. We highly recommend them as a vendor.”

ZytoGen Patient Services

“My review from 2019: Still using BWS and still think they're great! My review from 2016: We've been doing business with BWS for a few years now, and their service and pricing are great. We previously used a company who provides the same service in our area but overcharged us for years. I would definitely recommend BWS to anyone in the market for waste disposal at a great price with excellent service.”

“I have fantastic very dependable experience using BWS. I have used them weekly for the last 17 years in my dental practice. There always on the day that they're supposed to be, there's never been an issue with any of the invoices.”

Akbar Masood, D.D.S.

“BWS has been handling our biohazardous waste disposal for three years. They have always been helpful and dependable. I recommend them to all who need biohazardous waste disposal services.”

Chris Donaldson

“Been working with BWS for 10+ years. Fantastic service, always on time and polite.”

Dharani Jasthi

“Prompt, professional, and awesome business. We have worked with them for years and couldn't be happier.”

Tomicka Jackson-George, D.M.D.

“I've used BWS for several years now. Their service is great and their fees are very reasonable, making BWS a great value in hazardous waste removal.”

Louis Sachs, D.D.S.

“Professional and always on time! Great service!”

Kate Blair English

“Great option for healthcare waste management. BWS is an independent owned professional organization that is built on integrity and trust. There is no other company in the region that I'd recommend more. Most others say the right things the folks at BWS do the right thing. I'll continue to recommend them.”

Dave Ryan

We are a medical practice in a new location and needed hazardous waste removal services. We have been so pleased with the level of service and professionalism on both the admin and field work end of BWS services, and their pricing is fair and flexible. We would highly recommend them to any medical practice in need of these services.

Kerry Owens, Avalon Plastic Surgery

Every staff member that I have interacted with has been very friendly. They are quick to respond to emails and do a great job.

Jamie Fleming, National Spine & Pain Centers

Excellent company. Received notification that I was on schedule, showed up as promised, and very professional service from office to driver. Excellent service!!!

Keith Roberts, Biomatrix Specialty Pharmacy

Great service! They are always responsive and ready to help. 100% recommended.

Mireia Pedragosa Marin, Synergy Research

They were responsive and quickly start services. They were also great at answering all my questions and updating on when services would start.

Rebecca Crouse, Randolph Macon Academy

We used BWS for sharps disposal at a doctor's office. I saw their bright truck in the parking lot at work which lead me to call for a quote. They responded to my inquiry quickly and thoroughly, answering all my questions. They gave me pricing that was very reasonable, and lower than many companies I checked. They were a pleasure to communicate with via phone and email, no phone tag! The truck arrived the day and time we planned. The driver was very personable and easy to communicate with. The people I interacted with seem to understand the value of customer service. I would highly recommend them. They will take care of you.

Melissa C, Patriot Chiropractic

Excellent, professional service and very reasonable price on medical waste removal. Danielle was fantastic to work with - thanks Danielle!

Dr. Rosario Ignacio

Reliable and affordable

Dr. Thomas Lutz, Odenton Family Dentistry

I've used BWS for several years now. Their service is great and their fees are very reasonable, making BWS a great value in hazardous waste removal. Over the 20+ years that I have used them the scope of their services has increased as well as making documentation of their service easier to use!

Dr. Louis Sachs, DDS

I ran a dental charity for many years, organizing huge clinics to treat those in need. BWS donated their waste disposal services for every clinic for many years, and they continue to do so to this day. This is always a huge job, and they are always reliable, dedicated, and fun to work with. They know what it means to give back.

Eric B.

Great service & professional reps

Brenda Shah