Observance of proper mercury hygiene practices by Jordanian general dental practitioners

Objectives: To assess the knowledge and observance of proper mercury hygiene and amalgam waste management (AWM) among Jordanian general dental practitioners (GDPs). Subjects and Methods: Interviews were conducted with randomly selected 250 Jordanian GDPs, using a specially designed questionnaire. Out of the total of 250 GDPs, 228 (91.2%) agreed to participate. The questionnaire covered aspects related to professional information and total amalgam contact (TAC) of these practitioners. The second part focused on the degree of awareness of the protocols related to mercury hygiene and safe AWM. Results: Mean TAC was 3.2±3.6 hours per week. Of the Jordanian practitioners, 22.6% reported no undergraduate training in amalgam safety measures. Almost a quarter of GDPs did not have proper ventilation in their clinics, around 20-25% did not use protective clothing or eye protection, 5.3% were mixing amalgam manually, and 13.9% used their bare fingers for inserting the freshly mixed amalgam. Most of unused amalgam ends up through the drain or in trash; there are no recycling facilities to be used. Conclusions: Most Jordanian GDPs do not strictly follow the mercury hygiene and AWM guidelines. Promoting the American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines through undergraduate and postgraduate training will help GDPs acquire proper attitude towards the proper hygiene practices described in these recommendations.