Dental Waste Disposal blog
Practical, plain-English advice on dental waste disposal: costs, rules, planning and what to expect. Topics: Advice, Business, Costs, How-to, Regulations.
How-to
Switching to digital X-ray: disposing of fixer, films and processors
A step-by-step guide for UK dental practices moving from wet film to digital X-ray: fixer, developer, old films, lead foils and processor disposal.
Business
Closing, selling or merging a dental practice: the waste checklist
What to do with amalgam, chemicals, medicines, equipment and waste records when a UK dental practice closes, moves, merges or is sold.
Regulations
Dental waste and inspections: what CQC and other regulators check
What dental inspectors look for on waste, from segregation and sharps bins to storage, paperwork and audits, plus a self-check before inspection.
Regulations
Disposing of dental medicines and controlled drugs: a UK guide
How UK dental practices should dispose of expired medicines, emergency drugs, inhalers, oxygen and controlled drugs such as midazolam.
Business
Dental laboratory waste: gypsum, resins, metals and impressions
How UK dental laboratories should handle gypsum, acrylic monomer, alloys, investment dust, impressions and other lab waste streams legally and safely.
Costs
How to cut dental waste costs and make your practice more sustainable
Practical ways UK dental practices can cut waste volumes and costs, from better segregation and right-sized collections to digital workflows.
Regulations
Digital waste tracking 2026: what it means for dental practices
Mandatory digital waste tracking started in October 2026. What changes for UK dental practices, what stays the same and how to prepare for later phases.
Advice
Is dental amalgam being banned in the UK? The 2034 phase-out explained
Where the UK stands on dental amalgam: the EU ban, Northern Ireland's derogation to 2034, the Minamata phase-out and what it means for practice waste.
How-to
Mercury spill in a dental practice: what to do step by step
How to deal safely with a mercury or amalgam spill in a UK dental practice, what to avoid, what goes in the spill kit and how to dispose of the waste.
Business
Setting up waste management for a new dental practice: a checklist
Everything a new UK dental practice needs for waste: streams, containers per surgery, storage, contracts, registration, policy, training and records.