Waste: what you need to know

In a dental practice, it’s likely that you will come into contact with materials such as dental amalgam and gypsum on a daily basis. But have you ever wondered why these materials are so important to keep separate from other waste streams?

Both gypsum and amalgam can have a significant impact on the environment, so it’s necessary to understand these materials in more detail and take appropriate precautions to keep them properly segregated.

Gypsum – the unexpected threat

When we use gypsum in dental moulds, it’s difficult to believe that this material can produce potentially dangerous effects in other environments. Gypsum is chemically known as calcium sulphate dihydrate when it is found in its natural form. Through a process of calcination, it is transformed from a rock into a fine powder with the chemical name of calcium sulphate hemihydrate. It is this form of gypsum that is widely used in dentistry.