ADA Outlines Successful Environmental Efforts

CHICAGO, Nov.14, 2007 --Through the implementation of its best management practices (BMPs), the American Dental Association is taking the lead on protecting the environment, the ADA told Congress today.

“The ADA actively promotes its BMPs, which have had a very positive impact,” said J. Rodway Mackert, D.M.D., Ph.D.,  an ADA spokesperson testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s domestic policy panel. “As one example, we have virtually eliminated the use of bulk mercury in dentistry.  Dentists now use encapsulated amalgam, capsules containing a small amount of elemental mercury and the powdered metals with which it is mixed.”

The Association’s BMPs have contributed to a significant reduction in the amount of dental amalgam that enters the waste stream. The ADA has recently taken the further step of adding the installation of amalgam separators to its list of BMPs.

“I am proud that the ADA and the nation’s dentists are taking these steps voluntarily,” Dr. Mackert said. “We are working to protect the environment by educating our members, encouraging recycling and promoting highly effective best management practices.”

About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 155,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. JADA, a monthly journal, is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org

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