Newsletter
NEW YORK, USA: In order to educate customers on amalgam waste recycling, the Kerr Corporation, a provider of various dental products, including dental amalgam, has partnered with Dental Recycling North America (DRNA), a dental waste management organization. Within the scope of the partnership, the company's customers will have the opportunity to sign up for a DRNA continuing education course on public health and environmental responsibility.
Kerr announced that its customers will be able to participate in the online course designed to educate dentists and their teams on the latest public health and environment best practice. In addition, participants will learn more about dental amalgam legislation and regulations related to environmental health.
"With proper handling and recycling of amalgam waste receiving increasing scrutiny by various federal, state and local regulators, we wanted to take a proactive position on our customers' behalf to make sure that there can be easy access to best management practice education," explained Kerr President Damien McDonald.
Course participants can earn three continuing education credits.
The company's customers are also entitled to savings on DRNA's amalgam recycling kits and maintenance-free amalgam separators.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, dental amalgam waste can be released into the environment if improperly managed by dental offices. For instance, mercury from dental offices contributes significantly to the overall mercury contamination in wastewater. The agency estimates that, in 2008, about 122,000 dental offices discharged approximately 3.7 tons of mercury each. A study published in 2002 by the New York Academy of Sciences indicated that about 40 percent of total mercury loadings in the New York–New Jersey harbor and watershed may have come from dental offices.
