Organized crime has infiltrated the legitimate business of waste handling.1 Most of the original five crime families of New York City had some involvement in the waste disposal industry. Further, c...

Is Your Dental Office Waste Handler Part of the Mob

Finanziamenti e Prestiti postato da lilyeven12 || 5 anni fa

Organized crime has infiltrated the legitimate business of waste handling.1 Most of the original five crime families of New York City had some involvement in the waste disposal industry. Further, certain companies handling hazardous dental waste also have allegedly been highly problematic.2-4 We’ve seen everything from inappropriate and unlawful disposal of amalgam waste in public landfills to allegedly highly abusive contracts. If the waste handler declares bankruptcy or simply disappears, the liability for potential cleanup rests upon the originator of the waste. That means the dental clinic owner could ultimately be financially and legally responsible for the acts or inactions of others. This certainly includes the beneficial dentist owner of a dental practice or even the nominal (figurehead) dentist owner of a corporate practice. Due diligence must be exercised in review of hazardous waste management contracts. One can’t simply rely upon verbal representations. Too often the contracts are for an extended established time period, which the dentist can’t easily rescind. Some are self-renewing, unless the handler is advised in writing by a given date. Some agreements have had a very reasonable initial fee for hazardous waste removal, followed by grossly exorbitant fee increases thereafter. It’s not unusual for handlers in areas with little competition to charge fees three to four times in excess of the going rates of more competitive regions. The hazardous waste handler should supply the dental clinic owner with a manifest that confirms the date of waste pickup, where it was transported to, and finally the date of destruction or recycling. What Can I Do To Be Prepared? for more information.The handler also generally supplies proper containers for sharps disposal as well as properly color-coded storage containers for materials exposed to liquid bodily waste. You should: Verify the waste handler’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) license and number. Thoroughly read and review the hazardous waste handler’s contract. If the contract is written in excessive legalese, have your attorney review the contract or select another handler dental supplies. Do a background check on the waste handler. Is the handler supported by your state or district dental society? Can you access other clients (doctors) to verify the handler’s support for that company? Does the handler have a history of possible malfeasance or misrepresentations, based on an internet search? When treating edentulous or terminal dentition patients with full-arch implant-retained fixed prosthetics, one of the most challenging scenarios is severe maxillary atrophy or poor bone quality. The clinician is left with two core treatment options: grafting versus graftless. The first begins with site preparation, which may include sinus augmentation and block-grafts, followed by future implant placement. Requiring multiple surgical procedures, this treatment can often leave the patient in complete dentures for one to two years on a severely atrophic and unstable ridge. Wearing dentures often affects a patient’s quality of life, including the ability to eat. It also can severely diminish self-confidence.1 Other considerations include the cost and morbidity associated with multiple surgeries, graft failure, the need for additional grafting, and full healing prior to implant loading. This process often can be discouraging to both the patient and the provider dental vacuum forming machine. The graftless approach uses zygomatic implants, which can significantly help this patient population. Zygomatic implants offer a definitive solution that can be performed in a single surgery, stabilizing the patient’s oral condition and providing a fixed prosthetic solution with reduced cost and morbidity.