Dental waste management among dentists of bandar abbas, iran

Abstract

This study investigates dentists' knowledge and practiced dental waste management in public and private dental clinics and dental offices in Bandar Abbas. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 133 dentists from 124 private dental offices, five government dental clinics, and four private dental clinics in Bandar Abbas. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 40 questions based on dental knowledge and practices was prepared. The results revealed that only 12.0% of dentists knew about the correct container color for the disposal of human anatomical wastes that is a yellow trash bin. The trash bin was the method of disposal by the majority of dentists for disposal of x-ray film lead foils (52.6%), orthodontic wires (48.9%), and outdated drugs (60.2%). The chemicals used in dentistry and amalgams were mostly poured into the municipal sewage system. It is concluded that dentists, in general, did not have much awareness about dental waste management in Bandar Abbas. Also, most of their performance on waste disposal was not up to the standards. Implementing waste management laws requires constant monitoring and timely training. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive system of health care waste management, as in other developed countries, in Iran.