The Dental Drill—love it (wait, does anyone really love it?) or hate it, for many it is a part of the twice-yearly dental visit. Even if you don’t hate it, at the very least it probably makes you uncomfortable when you walk in and see that shiny instrument sitting there just waiting for you. Knowledge is power—even when it comes to dental tools—so perhaps this list of 10 things about dentist drills will help allay any fears.

1. 10 Things You May
Not Know about a
Dentist Drill

2. The Dental Drill—love it (wait, does
anyone really love it?) or hate it,
for many it is a part of the twice-
yearly dental visit. Even if you
don’t hate it, at the very least it
probably makes you
uncomfortable when you walk in
and see that shiny instrument
sitting there just waiting for you.
Knowledge is power—even when
it comes to dental tools—so
perhaps this list of 10 things about
dentist drills will help allay any
fears.

3. You May Think They Are Evil, but
They Are a Necessary Evil
 Dentist drills clean plaque off of teeth,
thoroughly and quickly. If plaque
remains on your teeth it can cause
cavities, tooth decay, or even an
abscess.

4. They Keep Your Teeth Strong
 Drills not only get rid of plaque,
but once your teeth are safe from
cavities, this means that your
teeth are stronger than ever.

5. They Aren’t Just Used to Clean
 Drills are multipurpose dental tools—
besides helping to give your teeth a
good cleaning, they can also shape
the tooth if you need a filling or
crown. They are also used in root
canals, and in removing old fillings or
crowns.

6. They Are Actually Pretty Impressive
Pieces of Machinery
 The fanciest racing car engine has nothing on
your favorite dentist’s drill. They can rotate at
speeds up to 400,000 rpm, or even more. They
are also impressive in that they are made of
tungsten carbide, a material so tough that it is
often used to make armor piercing ammunition.
To top it off (literally!) many dental drills are
covered in diamond, another notoriously hard
material.

7. They’ve Come a Long Way
 Drill use in dentistry can be traced back
1,000 years. The Mayans, Greeks, and
Romans all used primitive drills made of
stone, tube-shaped tools with a sharp
point on the end. These drills would be
twisted around in the tooth until a hole
was made, in what had to be a very long
and painful process.

8. They Are Still Being Improved Upon
 Some enterprising scientists out there
(who apparently hate drills so much
that they are dedicating their lives to
doing something about it) are looking
ahead to a future without the
traditional dental drill. These new drills
may use streams of air or even lasers.

9. They Are Even Trying to Get Rid of
that Horrible Noise
 Even if you don’t fear the dentist, you
probably hate the thought of that noise.
The good news is that those clever
scientists—once again—are making
devices so that you don’t have to hear
that noise at all. They aren’t in widespread
use yet, but hopefully your dentist can get
his hands on one soon.

10. Your Dentist Has Ways to Make Sure
Drills Are Sparkly Clean
 It is nice to know that your dentist, and in
particular our dental office in Arlington, Texas, is
following strict procedures for cleaning
something that is going in your mouth, and has
been in hundreds of other mouths. The dental
hygienist uses germicidal wipes and an
autoclave—a machine that uses high pressure
saturated steam that is over 120 degrees—to
make sure the drill that is about to go in your
mouth is germ free.

11. There Are Techniques You Can Use
to Squash Fears of the Drill
 These include bringing an MP3 player
to listen to so you can distract
yourself, and relaxation and
breathing techniques. Having a good
dentist that you feel you can share
your fears with is helpful as well.

12. There Are Ways to Avoid the Dental
Drill Altogether
 Your mother (and your dentist!) were
right: brushing and flossing everyday
is important. And, it’s the only way to
ensure that you don’t have to see the
drill at all at your next dentist visit.

13. Contact Us
 Mark C. Marchbanks, D.D.S.
 2624 Matlock Road Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76015
 Phone: (817) 261-2747
 http://arlingtontexasdentist.net/