Electric Handpieces

The smoother electric handpiece “mills” the tooth structure while the air turbine “grinds” it. This decreases the “chatter” of the bur against the tooth surface, increasing patient comfort and minimizing operator fatigue. Faster preparation means less heat buildup at the tooth surface.
Handpiece noise has long been identified as a significant problem for the dental practitioner (and chairside team). The high-pitched whine of the air-driven handpiece is one of the major causes of wear and tear on the dentist’s ears. In fact, many “air handpiece” dentists exhibit a slight to moderate hearing loss in their ear contralateral to their operative handedness. (The sit-down practice common today involves the dentist’s operative hand crossing across the torso during patient treatment. The contralateral ear is fully exposed to the handpiece whine, while the bulk of the nose protects the ipsilateral ear.) Electric handpieces are much quieter, gentler, and kinder to the auditory organs. The smoother operation and decreased chatter reduce the annoying high-pitched whine, meaning older “electric handpiece” dentists will still be enjoying their full hearing capacities.