Special Markets

In July 2020 the EPA Dental Rule regulation on the proper handling of amalgam waste went into effect nationwide, requiring all offices to properly dispose and recycle all materials that come in contact with amalgam waste. To be in compliance with the mandate, all four components must be implemented into the dental practice’s daily waste management:

Requirement #1: ISO 11143:2008 Certified or a certified ANSI/ADA Standard No. 108 Amalgam Separator

• Maintained according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Separation rate of at least 95%.
• Must be designed with clear materials to allow for visual inspection of the unit. If not, the system must contain a window to the inside the separator, or an alarm to indicate that the system is “full” and time to be recycled.

Solmetex Solution #1: NXT Hg5 Amalgam Separator:

• ISO 11143 certified with a separation rate of +95%.
• Clear by Design for easy visual inspection.
• Collection Containers must be recycled when solids reach the full line or at 12 months, whichever occurs first.

Requirement #2: Use of a clearly labeled Amalgam Bucket for recycling of all ‘dry’ amalgam waste (chairside traps, teeth with amalgam, spent amalgam capsules, vacuum filters)

Solmetex Solution #2: Practice Waste Solutions Amalgam Bucket which is DOT approved to transport hazardous waste across all state lines.

Requirement #3: Use of a Vacuum Line Cleaner with a neutral pH.

Solmetex Solution #3: PowerScrub Vacuum Line Cleaner:

• Neutral pH between 6 and 8.
• Contains Mereduce™ – scientifically proven to inhibit the release of harmful mercury into the environment.
• ADA Best Management Practices recommend daily cleaning of your vacuum lines

Requirement #4: Certificates of Compliance / Recycling
Solmetex Solution #4: The Solmetex Compliance Center houses Certificates of Recycling, Installation & Compliance 24/7/365.

DSO Compliance Officers and Territory Managers are given viewing access rights to the portal dependent upon their responsibilities within the company. For instance, National Compliance Officers will have access to all offices across the country, while a Training or a Territory Manager will be granted specific permissions to view offices only within their territory. At the office level, practices will be able to access just their own practice data, recycling history, manage maintenance programs and print shipping labels.

Overseeing and managing the compliance activities nationwide within a dental group can be a challenge, but the Solmetex Compliance Center can provide clarity and insight. Upon login, the dashboard displays an overall high-level snapshot of the current state of collection container recycling across all offices as a whole; drill down a level and see a listing of all practices grouped according to compliance status; drill down one level further and get installation and get recycling details by product by practice.

National and Territory Managers have the ability to sort and view the office data from a variety of viewpoints and download practice details to an Excel or PDF file which may be emailed if desired.

Should a practice ever be inspected or need to prove compliance with the regulation, access to the Solmetex Compliance Center is available online 24/7. Every time an office sends a product out for recycling, once the recycler receives the product, the portal is updated and Proof of Recycling Certificates are housed and ready to be downloaded in a convenient .PDF file to be easily submitted electronically or printed whenever necessary.

Included in the price of all Solmetex products is the cost of recycling. Offices easily access the UPS website through the Compliance Portal to generate and print their shipping labels.

The My Solutions Center consists of scheduling capabilities of all the products your practices need to always be in compliance with the EPA “Dental Rule” regulation. Enrollment in the program alleviates the guesswork around EPA compliance, protects offices from unnecessary fines and ensures that offices are always covered from a compliance perspective. Your offices will receive the required products delivered on a custom schedule that is set to suit the needs of the practice. Product schedules in terms of frequency, quantity, shipment dates, may be quickly and easily modified at any time within the portal by the individual office or by the DSO/Group Compliance Officer. No contracts, no fees, schedules may be modified at any time, order through the dealer of your choice.

Set It and Forget It — Once you’ve set the delivery schedule that best suits the practice, Solmetex takes care of the rest. Offices will never be without the products that keep their practice in compliance and running efficiently.