What is an Amalgam separator anyway? For those dentists reading, this is probably not that hard to understand, but for those who are not, the easiest explanation is that it is dental product that prevents the release of heavy metals such as silver and mercury into the environment.

As a dentist you may know that the main component of dental amalgam is mercury and although it is durable, cheap and easy to use, there is a lot of controversy that goes with it. Even if your patients do not know the meaning of amalgam and its main component, most will still feel that they should have been told about its main component since 50% of Americans believed the filings that contains mercury may cause health problems.

Those who also oppose with the use of dental amalgam filings are concern about water contamination and environmental damage brought by mercury. The popular use of amalgam fillings goes largely unstructured in a lot of places, especially in the United States. Sad to know that according to a report by the WHO, mercury from amalgam and laboratory devices noted 53% of total mercury emissions. Dental amalgam that is flushed down the drain is consisted of one-third of that 53%. And because of the risks involved, ISO has issued some standards on the proper handling and disposal of such waste and certain legislation that is being adopted in some U.S. states.

With the issues at hand, installing an amalgam separator will ease your worries and even your patients who are knowledgeable about the subject. The problem now is how to find the right brand for you so that you can use it right away. And like any otherdental products, there are also a variety of brands for an amalgam separator. To easily select the best one you have to find a brand that meets ISO Standards and even Canadian ISO standards if you are in Canada. It should also have an easy and quick installation with no special plumbing, wiring or electrical power required. The product should also be compact so that you can easily install it in utility rooms even with just a restricted room for it, and it should also be made available in different models so that it can accommodate any type of practice size. With all these considerations in mind, finding the right amalgam separator and installing it to your office can be easier. Having an amalgam separator does not only help you as a dentist, but also helps the environment we live in.