Management of dental waste by practitioners in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Objective: Dental wastes are material that has been utilized in dental clinics, which are no longer wanted for use and therefore discarded. Improper disposal of these dental wastes can cause harm to the dentist, the people in immediate vicinity of the dentist, waste handlers and general public and the environment through production of toxins or as by products of the destruction process. This study aims to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practice on management of dental wastes among dental practitioners in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of 70 dental practitioners practicing in Nairobi, Kenya. Results: A total of 50 dental practitioners were included in the study. Majority had graduated between 1991-1995. 47.5% had only a bachelors degree, 25% had masters 7.5% had PhD and 12.5% had postgraduate diploma. Forty five percent of the respondents indicated they have attended training on management of dental waste while 89.5% had been attending continuous dental education. Forty-two percent of the respondents worked in public institution while the rest were in private practice. Only 48.7% of the practitioners were aware of the existence of waste management guidelines. Only 64% felt it was important to follow the set guidelines, 5% thought it was tedious, 2% said they were not practical and the rest were not interested in the guidelines. Eighty-two percent of the respondents said that amalgam was toxic if disposed improperly with only 10.7% indicating pollution to be a consequence of improper disposal of amalgam. Seventyseven percent of the respondents did not know the hazardous effects of improper disposal of amalgam. Only half of the respondents stored waste amalgam under water, 25% said they did not know how to dispose amalgam. All (100%) knew about occurrence of cross-infection with improper disposal of bloody waste but only 56.1% said they incinerated bloody body waste while 24.4% disposed off bloody waste with general waste 35.7% of the respondents indicated that sharps were hazardous if improperly disposed. Only 52.4% incinerated their pathological wasted. On expired drugs, 7.3% disposed them off as part of general wastes. Conclusion: There is need for continuous professional development on waste management among dentists in Kenya.

Knowledge and practice adopted by dental practitioners and dental auxiliaries regarding biomedical waste management in Pune

“…[13] The present study participants showed better awareness about BMW management as compared to dentists from Nairobi, Kenya where nearly half of them were unaware about guidelines for waste disposal. [14] In this study, the percentage of respondents using color-coding for disposal of waste was similar to the ones who had registered and had the license for BMW disposal. 108 (72%) dentist and 19 (33.9%) dental auxiliaries, were following color-coding system for the disposal of waste, whereas in a study done by Narang et al, 68 (85%) dental surgeons and 44 (55%) dental auxiliaries, were using color-coded bags for the waste disposal.…”

Management of Dental Waste in Private Clinics in Chhattisgarh State, India – A Cross Sectional Study

“…The term ‗clinical waste' is associated with waste originating from medical, dental and veterinary sources and has been defined as ‗waste that is contaminated with blood, saliva or any other bodily hazardous fluids and which may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it' (Department of Health, 1992). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has defined healthcare waste as ‗all waste produced by healthcare establishments, research facilities and laboratories including the waste originating from ‗minor' or ‗scattered' sources such as that produced in the course of healthcare undertaken in the home (such as dialysis and insulin injections)' (WHO, 1999) [4].…”

Occupational Health Problems and Protective Applications of Dentists

“…yaptığı çalışmada diş hekimlerinin %10,7'si tarafından amalgamın uygun olarak bertaraf edilmemesinin toksik etki oluşturduğu belirtilmiştir. 36 Dental uygulamalar sonucu oluşan amalgam atıklarının uygunsuz bertarafının oldukça yüksek olduğunu görmekteyiz. Bu durumun tespitinin güç olmasından, finansal yetersizlikten, kliniklere herhangi bir yaptırımının olmamasından ve en önemlisi amalgamın toksik etkileri hakkında bilgi eksikliğinden, atık yönetimine ilişkin hizmet içi eğitimlere gereken önemin verilmemesinden kaynaklandığı düşünülmektedir.…”