Quieter Handpieces to Reduce Patient Anxiety?
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- Published: Wednesday, 10 December 2025 19:50
- Written by News Editor
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Dental anxiety remains a major barrier to routine attendance and preventive care, with auditory triggers—particularly the characteristic high-frequency noise of the high-speed handpiece—playing a significant role for many patients. The acoustic profile of the turbine handpiece, often described by patients as a high-pitched, aversive whine, has long been recognised anecdotally in clinical practice but has received comparatively little rigorous scientific study.
Tomomi Yamada, assistant professor at the University of Osaka’s Graduate School of Dentistry, has observed firsthand the heightened distress that certain auditory stimuli provoke. Although her earlier academic focus was dental materials science, Yamada noted a surprising absence of systematic research into the aeroacoustic properties of dental drills—even within the profession itself.
Professor Yamada has presented her findings at the Sixth Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan (Dec. 1–5, 2025, Honolulu).
Aeroacoustic Modelling of the High-Speed Handpiece
To investigate the mechanisms underlying drill noise, Yamada and colleagues from the University of Osaka, Kobe University, and National Cheng Kung University used Japan’s flagship supercomputer to conduct large-scale aeroacoustic simulations. Their work examined both internal and external airflow patterns in a typical air-driven handpiece operating at approximately 320,000 rpm.
The simulations enabled researchers to visualise turbulent airflow structures and identify the specific regions within the handpiece where noise is generated. Importantly, the team concluded that reducing overall sound intensity does not necessarily translate into a more tolerable auditory experience for patients. Instead, the quality of the sound—its frequency distribution, tonal components, and temporal characteristics—appears to be more influential in shaping patient perception.
Age-Dependent Perception of Dental Drill Noise
The team also conducted psychoacoustic assessments with both children and adults, evaluating responses to drill noise that can approach frequencies near 20 kHz. Younger listeners consistently perceived the sounds as louder and more aversive.
According to Yamada, this suggests that children’s fear of the dental drill is not simply behavioural or emotional but has a genuine physiological basis. Their heightened sensitivity to high-frequency sound means they experience the noise more intensely than adults.
Toward Quieter, Better-Tolerated Handpieces
In response to these findings, Yamada’s group is exploring modifications to blade geometry and exhaust-port design aimed at improving sound quality without compromising cutting efficiency or safety. The challenge, she notes, lies in achieving meaningful acoustic improvement while maintaining the clinical performance required for routine operative dentistry.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to collaborate with dental manufacturers to bring optimized designs toward commercial viability, following necessary regulatory, durability, and performance testing.
For clinicians, this line of research underscores the importance of recognising acoustic stimuli as a genuine contributor to dental anxiety—particularly in younger patients—and highlights promising future pathways for improving the sensory environment of dental care.
The full paper can be read here.
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