At Lodi Valley Dental, we are passionate about doing our part to protect the environment and the community we’re so grateful to be a part of. That’s why we use a device called an amalgam separator to collect the very small pieces of amalgam that are sometimes released when a dentist places or removes a restoration. Usually, these pieces will collect in the office’s wastewater, which is then fed into the public sewer system.
What does that mean for the environment?
Amalgam, better known as silver-colored filling, contains the element mercury. When dental offices allow the amalgam to be flushed into their wastewater system and then into the public sewer system, they are contaminating the public water system. It is estimated that dental offices that do not use amalgam separators can collectively contribute as much as 40% of the mercury contaminating the public water system in their area.
Lodi Valley Dental makes protecting the environment a priority, so we use amalgam separators to make sure we’re doing our part to protect the patients we love to serve.
For more questions on our efforts to protect the environment through responsible disposal tools, like amalgam separators, don’t be afraid to contact us today!