Dental professionals will be aware that mercury is a key component of dental amalgam, and there is a significant debate as to the impact and toxicity of amalgam used to fill patients’ teeth. However, while the debate still rages in terms of the impact of amalgam fillings on patients, in other dental contexts, the dangers of mercury exposure are far more clear-cut.
Mercury vapour
In 1996 Parsell et al, found that mercury vapour levels within the room where amalgam was exposed to steam autoclave sterilisation reached levels that constitute an unnecessary health risk to members of the dental team.[1] This is because the heat generated in the sterilisation process causes mercury to turn into a vapour – a dangerous form of the element that can easily be inhaled by clinical staff. While the dangers of autoclaving amalgam-filled teeth such as in the Parsell study may appear obvious to many readers in a modern context, the dangers of mercury vapour from autoclaves still exist to this day.
This is because instruments used in the placement or removal of dental amalgam can also be contaminated with amalgam containing mercury prior to sterilisation. Heating instruments that have been used in such instances can also therefore cause mercury to vaporise. This vapour will then emit from the autoclave after the door is opened at the end of the cycle, and can also potentially enter vital parts within the autoclave, causing contamination and possible failure of the unit. To complicate matters further, if there is a suspicion that the failure of the autoclave is mercury linked, then the engineers tasked with trying to repair the fault do themselves run the risk of being contaminated.
Reducing the risk
To minimise the risks associated with mercury there are several steps you can take to reduce the chance of biological or mechanical contamination. Firstly, you should ensure that any instruments used for placing or removing amalgam are thoroughly decontaminated and inspected before sterilisation.
Work with the experts
Autoclaves are an important part of the decontamination cycle and should be considered an integral part of any modern dental practice. Though they are of course designed to facilitate the sterilisation of pathogens, dental team members should be aware that there are still other dangers within the dental practice setting. Though the debate over mercury in dental amalgam still rages to this day, there can be no mistaking the danger of vaporised mercury released during the high temperatures of the sterilisation cycle.
To help you understand the dangers associated with mercury in autoclaves, the experienced team at dbg can guide and support you in your efforts to minimise risk and establish a safe and effective decontamination protocol. Not only that, but dbg can also provide you with the complete engineering solution including validation and servicing packages for all equipment within your practice.
For more information call dbg on 01606 861 950,
Or visit www.thedbg.co.uk
[1] Parsell et al, ‘Mercury release during autoclave sterilisation of amalgam’, J Dent Educ 1996 May; 60(5): 453-8.