June 9, 2017- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reinstated the final rule on effluent limitations for dental offices to reduce the discharge of mercury and other metals from dental offices down the sewer drain to publically owned treatment works…
Both the Federal OSHA and Cal/OSHA Hazard Communication (Hazcom) Standards require that every hazardous chemical used in the workplace must have an accompanying safety data sheet (SDS), previously referred to as MSDS. The SDS is a detailed document that describes…
Dentists are required to post in the office, and distribute to each patient no later than the first appointment date, a Notice of Privacy Practices, which is a formal, written document summarizing the legal duties of the dental practice to…
The abuse and diversion of prescription opioids is a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription opioids caused more than 14,000 opioid deaths in the United States…
The California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) requires all employers, including dental offices, to inform employees about state laws governing wages, working hours, and working conditions by posting the applicable Wage Order in the place of business. IWC Wage Order No.…
One of the current best management practices for managing dental amalgam in wastewater, recommended universally among dental organizations, is the prohibition on the use of dental vacuum line cleaners that promote the release of mercury from the vacuum lines. Specifically,…
On August 28, 2016, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) adopted amendments to Proposition 65 warning regulations that will require dental offices to modify their Proposition 65 warning(s) to patients. Proposition 65, also known…
Under universal/standard precautions, OSHA deems that all teeth must be assumed to be potentially infectious. As such, they must be handled safely, to prevent the potential for occupational transmission of disease to employees who come into contact with them. However,…
As of March 1, 2017, all single-user restrooms in any business establishment, place of public accommodation, or state or local government agency must be identified as “all-gender” toilet facilities. Known as the Equal Restroom Access Act, Assembly Bill 1732 was…
In September 2016, California Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2235, also known as Caleb’s Law, into law. Caleb was a six-year old who died in 2015 from complications sustained during dental treatment while under general anesthesia. AB 2235 covers…
