Environmental Management for Dental Offices

Legal Requirements: Dental Best Management Practices and Amalgam Separators

In 2005, legislation was passed in Vermont requiring dental offices to comply with environmental best management practices (BMPs) for amalgam wastes developed by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The law also requires the installation of amalgam separators in the wastewater discharge by January 1, 2007.

How Does a Dental Office Comply?

• Read and comply with the Dental BMPs.
• Self-certify your compliance status with the Dental BMPs by filing a self-certification form by January 31, 2009 and every two years thereafter (not required for orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, and oral maxillofacial surgeons).
• Install an amalgam separator on your wastewater discharge (except for orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, maxillofacial surgeons, and practices that do not place or remove amalgam).

Additional Resources:

"The Environmentally Responsible Dental Office: A Guide to Proper Waste Management in Dental Offices". Produced by the Northeast Resource Center of the National Wildlife Federation and the Vermont State Dental Society, June 1999.