A dental turbine hand piece is a rotating device which is driven electrically by air pressure directly into the hose of the dental unit through a conventional coupling. The rotary motion is controlled by a switch or a dial set within a convenient housing on the hand piece, and the speed of the rotary motion can be adjusted with the help of a variable screw fixed to the hand piece. This device provides a very effective and quick cleaning of the teeth in the dental unit. It is highly suitable for cleaning large areas of the teeth in a short time and has been found to be the most effective when compared to the other traditional cleaning methods like toothbrush suction.

Dental turbines are generally made from cast iron and are used for various applications including cleaning. Turbines have many advantages over the older style toothbrushes as they have a better suction, are not damaged by water, are durable and have a longer life span. Also, with the increasing popularity of dental hygiene in recent years, the demand for dental turbines has risen and there is a great deal of competition among dental equipment manufacturers of dental turbine instruments. The basic differences between the different types of dental turbine instruments are as follows:

The most common type of dental turbine is the handpiece which is fitted onto the end of a drill hand. These handpieces are also known as the 'dental trumpets'. The other main type is the 'bearing'. These bearing handpieces are the exact opposite of the hand piece. A dentist is required to have one or more bearing handpieces at his/her disposal when performing dental work, which is mainly because these handpieces are much more powerful, effective and reliable than the handpieces fitted onto the end of a drill hand.

Surgical handpieces are fitted onto sterilized tools during the process of dental therapy and are designed specifically to be sterile while operating. Although this sounds convenient it is important to note that these handpieces are not suitable for use on non-sterile surfaces (e.g. a patient's cheek). The most popular sterilization method of these dental turbines is through either 'crystallography' or 'radiotherapy'.

The other major type of dental turbine available to dentists today are the 'spindle' and 'pulley' bearings. A spindle or pulley bearing is a system of ball bearings. This type of dental turbine can only be used in the dental area of the throat. This means that if there are any contaminates present in the patient's throat they will need to be removed prior to fitting the pulley bearing into the dental trays.

Another type of dental turbine used within the dental profession is the 'rotary instruments'. Rotary instruments are basically screw machines. They are used within many different applications. The most common application of rotary instruments within the dentistry field is in the teeth whitening field. When using a rotary device for dental work, patients are advised to contact the dental professional before performing any procedures with these types of dental equipment.