Effective Interventions To Enhance Safe Use Of Dental Mercury

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions in enhancing safe use of dental mercury: using a negative pressure room with a patent-pending mobile mercury filter and implementing a better clinical practice guideline. Methods: Studied population consisted of 13 dentists and 13 dental assistants. Each individual was assessed on occupational background, medical history, knowledge and attitude in safe use of dental mercury. Interventions were improving the working environment by storing and processing all amalgam preparation in a negative pressure room, mobile mercury filter and promoting safe use of mercury according to ADA in Dental Mercury Hygiene Recommendation. Conformation to the guideline was ensured by routine checking. Effectiveness of the interventions was determined by comparing urinary and vapor mercury before and 3 months after implementing the interventions. Vapor mercury was measured using Cold Vapor-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry method. Because of non-normality in the data, Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman correlation and Mann Whitney U test were used to obtain statistical conclusion. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in urinary mercury and vapor mercury levels in the post-intervention period. In addition, there was a statistically significant correlation between urinary and vapor mercury in the pre-intervention period but no such correlation was exhibited in the post-intervention period. Finally, there was no different result between the dentist and the assistant group. Conclusion: Implementing a negative pressure room with a mobile mercury filter and using proper clinical practice guideline are effective interventions in enhancing safe use of mercury.