Provincial Regulations Requirements

• In 2001, CCME Endorsed the Canada-wide Standard on Mercury for Dental Amalgam Waste (CWS) to address mercury releases from dental facilities in a nationally consistent manner.
• The CWS (Canada wide standards) calls for the installations of ISO 11143 certified separators and other best management practices in order to reduce releases of mercury from dentistry in Canada by 95% by 2005, from a baseline of 2000.
• On May 31st, 2003, Ontario Regulations 205/94 under the Dentistry Act 1991 was amended to include the Standard of Practice of the Profession for Amalgam Waste Disposal.
• This regulation requires that every dental office in the province of Ontario in which dental amalgam is placed, repaired or removed, install a dental amalgam separator device. The device must meet or exceed ISO 11143 standards.
• This regulation came into effect on November 15, 2003. The regulation also requires dental offices that met the above conditions to dispose of amalgam wastes properly.
• Of particular significance, Canadian dentists who have not currently implemented best management practices for amalgam waste at their dental practice will be required to prepare and implement a pollution prevention (P2) plan in the months following the publication of the Final Notice, which is scheduled for December 2009.