Did you know?

• Dangers of Bio-hazardous Waste in Health Care
  Emissions from medical waste incineration release dioxins, furans and other harmful substances. Landfills also create public health risks. Unprocessed red bag waste emits potentially hazardous disease and toxins into our communities. Within the healthcare industry, actual documented medical waste generation from the WHO (World Health Organization) statistics for North America alone is approximately 6lbs/person/year, which is an astounding 1,108,000 tons per year and growing. As early as 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified medical waste incineration as the leading source of dioxin, a potent carcinogen (dioxin is one of 12 chemicals targeted for elimination under a new United Nations treaty on persistent organic pollutants). At ORA we generate ZERO bio-hazardous waste by utilizing cutting-edge technology with the Demolizer II, which provides a simple, effective solution to biomedical waste management at the point of generation, and eliminates the possibility of sharps and red bag biomedical waste being disposed of directly into our environment. Unlike incineration, the dry heat technology used by the Demolizer® II does not emit harmful fumes into our atmosphere. Because processed waste is sterile, and sharps are rendered unrecognizable, dangers from toxic exposure or needle sticks are eliminated.
  
• Dangers of Phthalates and DEHP in Health Care
  Phthalates, a family of industrial chemicals used to soften PVC plastic and as solvents in many commercial products can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system. Medical devices made of flexible PVC, such as IV bags and tubing, have been shown to leach the phthalate DEHP into patients, resulting in some of the highest exposures to this toxic chemical. Although DEHP-free and PVC-free products are uncommon and more costly, our patient's health is always what is paramount, and at ORA^® you can have peace of mind during your ORA^® Oral surgery procedures that we are PVC-free and DEHP-free.
  
  
• Dangers of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) in Health Care
  Flame retardants are commonly added to a wide range of products in the healthcare setting such as IV pumps, hospital recovery beds, waiting-room chairs, exam room chairs and hospital privacy curtains. Unfortunately many of these flame retardant chemicals do not remain fixed in the product, and slowly leak into air, dust and water, and also enter our bodies. Evidence shows that a subset of these chemicals called "brominated flame retardants" (BFRs) bio-accumulate in people and cause adverse health effects. Shockingly, it has been found that the breast milk of American women contains the highest levels of BFRs in human breast milk found anywhere in the world. For your safety at ORA^®, all of our patient treatment items and furnishings have been carefully selected and are BFR-free.
  
  
• Dangers of Mercury in Health Care
  Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. It is used throughout health care in a variety of products including thermometers sphygmomanometers (blood pressure cuff), dental amalgam, laboratory chemicals and preservatives such as thimerosal, and cleaning agents.
  
  The cumulative usage, spills, breakages and disposal of these products makes the health care sector a significant contributor of mercury pollution in the environment. Additionally, mercury from dental amalgam, if it is not filtered, enters our municipal water system and can poison our ground water. At ORA^® Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, we use only mercury-free thermometers and sphygmomanometers (blood pressure cuff) during surgery. We are a mercury-free/amalgam-free facility and even though it is surprisingly not an Illinois regulatory requirement yet, we proactively installed a mercury/amalgam separator to prevent toxic mercury from entering our community.
  
  
• Problems with Latex in Health Care
  The use of natural rubber latex gloves in health care has been associated with an increase in reported latex allergies among both patients and workers. Prevalence studies indicate that up to 17% of the exposed health care workforce have become allergic to latex. Symptoms range from irritating to extreme life-threatening reactions. For our team and patient's safety, ORA^® is also a completely latex-free facility.