Are an effective, important part of being a responsible dental practitioner and community member. Mercury from “silver fillings” in teeth goes into our community waste water lines from dental offices who place or remove “silver” amalgam fillings.Mercury is the most toxic non radiation emitting metal. Much more toxic than arsenic or lead. A molecule of mercury is rated LD100 – at it’s lowest level it is expected to kill 100% of test animals under equal conditions.Baywise.org of San Francisco sties that 52% of mercury reaching waste water treatment plants is from dental offices. Waste water treatment facilities are not designed to remove heavy metal such as mercury and silver. Amalgam separators are mandatory for dental offices in some communities – San Francisco, Seattle, Milwaukee, and Wichita for example.An amalgam separator in a device placed within the plumbing system of a dental office which captures mercury and other heavy metals produced by dental procedures tightly within, eliminating their passage into the the waste water lines outside of the dental office. The separator units, when full, are sent sealed to recovery facilities who extract the mercury and recycle it instead of discarding it as hazardous waste refuse.
Our office mercury separator, is above 95% efficient. We are the only office in Santa Barbara using a separator, that we are aware of. I consider my separator as an essential part of my practice, like sterilizing instrumentation, and the use of ozone and recycling. Each is a part of the whole protecting patients and staff. The separator allows our office to responsibly protect the community of Santa Barbara as well.