Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation of Yazd Dental Center Waste

Compared to other medical clinics, dental centers produce a relatively small amount of healthcare waste. However, they are responsible for the production of certain amounts of waste that can cause serious health and environmental hazards if not treated properly. Determining the quantity and quality of dental waste is quite necessary to plan the machinery, personnel, and transportation methods. In the current analytical cross-sectional study, 22 dental clinics were randomly selected from among 145 dental centers in Yazd. For each clinic, three samples were manually collected and distributed at the end of the work day once a week (the day was randomly chosen). The components were classified into four groups based on their characteristics and potential risk. Afterward, the collected data were analyzed using Excel. The mean per capita daily waste generation in the Yazd dental clinics was 80.179 g for each patient. In general, the Yazd dental clinics generate approximately 4 tons of waste every year. Out of this amount, infectious waste, domestic waste, chemical-pharmaceutical waste, and sharp waste account for 49.30%, 33.33%, 13.7%, and 4.2%, respectively. The results of the current study and the small amount of waste generated in Yazd suggest that a special safe site should be constructed for infectious, sharp, and keen waste; private companies should collect such waste and transfer it to this site after the waste is disinfected; and the waste should then be transferred to a municipal waste hygienic disposal site. In regard to chemical waste that may contain hazardous materials, like mercury, no suggestions other than safe burial are made.