Dental amalgam: regulating its use and disposal.
Although dental amalgam has been a restorative material for more than 150 years, government regulation of its use and disposal came much later with the creation of new federal laws and agencies. None of the federal laws regulating dental amalgam today were written specifically to regulate amalgam. Instead, these new laws and agencies were created to address broad public safety concerns, where little or no regulation existed before, in the areas of medical devices and drugs and environmental pollution. It is the interpretation and implementation of environmental laws that recently have had the greatest impact on dental practices.
Pichay
Teresa J
TJ
Public Policy Division, California Dental Association, Sacramento 95814, USA.
D002140:California; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000032:analysis; D018057:Dental Waste / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012449:Safety / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control
D018057:Dental Waste; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003723:Dental Amalgam