Air driven high speed dental units provide cutting, polishing and other advanced functions. There are many types available on the market. In their simplest form, these units have an air compressor and three yokes, providing a high speed handpiece, a slow speed handpiece and an air/water syringe. They can be bought as mobile units, on castors, or as a wall mounted control panel, with a compressor located elsewhere.

The high speed handpiece is capable of up to 400,000 rpm. It takes friction grip burs (FG) and has a water cooling facility for the bur. The water flow supplied to the hand piece can be varied or switched off completely.

The handpiece provides low torque, which causes the bur to stall if pressed too hard onto the tooth (over 1-2 ounces of pressure). It is used for the drilling of access points into teeth, for high speed sectioning of teeth during extraction and cutting or re-modelling of bone.

Air polishing has been compared to scaling and rubber-cup polishing for efficiency and effectiveness of stain and plaque removal. The  dentists supports the use of the air polisher as an efficient and effective means of removing extrinsic stain and plaque from tooth surfaces. Air polishing requires less time than traditional polishing methods and removes stain three times as fast as scaling with comers.

Effects of air polishing on gold foil, gold castings, porcelain, amalgam, and glass ionomers have been studied. Air polishing of amalgam alloys and other metal restorations has produced a variety of effects, including matte finishes, surface roughness, morphological changes, and structural alterations.

The size and type of dental air compressor you may require should be considered at the time of purchase. Reservoirs are available from 4 gallons to 12 gallons supplying between 6-8 cubic feet/min (CFM). A small compressor has the advantage of being lightweight, quieter and cheaper. However, if asked to work beyond its capacity, it will overheat and cut out. It is often suggested that if the practice intends to perform restorative work it is best to have an oil-less compressor, to prevent oil droplets in the airline contaminating the restorative material.