Introduction
Everything we know, our health, our economy, even our social norms, are being impacted by Covid 19. The dental industry is at the bleeding edge of a massive, disruptive, and unwanted change. An unhealthy mouth means an unhealthy immune system. And like it or not, a pretty smile makes all the difference to our emotional well being. Patients NEED and WANT to visit their dentists. No wonder this virus has brought a whole new dimension to my views on the topic of needs vs. wants.
The dental industry must provide safe health care to patients. At the same time the dental industry faces losses of up to 2/3rd its revenues from elective dental procedures. Dentists are putting their own health at risk, while costs soar, revenues plummet, in a Covid 19 fear driven pandemic. No wonder many dentists are retiring.
I remember saying to my dentist at a recent visit, "my life is now in your hands." (Dr Bicuspid article ==>) as I opened my mouth lying in his chair. But I was only partially correct. It was actually his dental assistant who would determine my physiological and emotional fate. Making sure he was wearing his PPE correctly. Handing him the clean "nasty" needle which I still fear. Keeping me company, while he took care of another patient, settling my jangled nerves, wearing her mask and waiting for my mouth to numb up.
This was no assistant, this was the life blood to my procedure and his office.
EPA Amalgam Rule
After decades of confusion around the EPA Amalgam Rule, Doctor's either believe that the issue of mercury being discharged into their local waterways has been solved by the installation of an Amalgam Separator, or that there is no need/regulatory oversight to this Rule and it can be safely ignored.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
i) Managing mercury disposal requires the separator to be operated according to the mfg. operating manual. This includes weekly inspections that the collection container is not full and that it is working correctly. This requires replacing the collection container when full, or at the mfg. replacement interval (usually 1 year) and disposing of the full/expired collection container with an approved recycling facility.
ii) Oversight and enforcement of the EPA Rule is managed by the EPA, under the multiple and "strong" provisions provided to Control Authorities by Section 309 of the Clean Waters Act. EPA Enforcement Officers, and Control Authority compliance officers, have 3 years to plan their visit to a dental office, and to request request copies of their written records.
The Dental Assistant
There are 346,000 dental assistants working in dental offices across the USA.
That is a lot of people, mostly young women people, which got me to wondering about how dental assistants saw themselves. How doctors perceived the dental assistant in their office. How Hygienists saw them. How the American Dental Assistant Association perceived their own members. Wow, was I in for a surprise!
My research revealed that the professional credentials for being a dental assistant varied significantly between the States. From profession licensing and maintenance of continuing education credits in California, to nothing at all in Nevada. And within this wide State divergence, from the "manager" of infection protocols in the practice to "useful assistant" to anything needing doing.
The EPA Amalgam Rule is going to bring a change to the dental industry. For literally decades amalgam mercury regulation has been inconsistent and most unenforced. This federal regulation has teeth, including maximum fines in the many 10's of thousands and jail time for making a knowingly false declaration.
Dental assistants, this is your opportunity. I urge you to make yourselves "more important" to your doctor by taking ownership of EPA Amalgam compliance in your office.
You have their ear, and while they battle finances and Covid 19, you can truly help the office by helping the doctor comply with this Federal Rule.