How to Dispose of Bloody Gauze in a Dental Office

Bloody gauze found in a dental office is considered medical waste. Waste Management indicates that medical waste -- including soiled gauze, bandages, gloves and other medical supplies -- are dangerous enough to cause infection should another individual come into contact with these products. Due to the possibility of transmitting infections and diseases, extreme caution needs to be taken while disposing of bloody gauze. Dental offices should be equipped to handle medical waste.

Things You'll Need

• Latex gloves
• Bio-hazard box
• Garbage bags

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Instructions

• 1

  Wear latex gloves. Handle any bloody gauze while wearing gloves. Have latex gloves positioned near your work station for easy access.

• 2

  Locate the bio-hazard box in your dental office. Bio-hazard boxes are red boxes that are designed to dispose of medical taste. All bloody and soiled dental products can be placed in this box for safe disposal. An outside company will likely come and pick the waste up weekly for proper disposal.

• 3

  Use two garbage bags. Should your bio-hazard box be full, you can safely dispose of bloody gauze by placing the gauze in two garbage bags and tying them shut. The gauze can then be disposed of with your office's regular trash.