Abstract
We report the development of an air turbine handpiece, using the plastic turbine blade for the realization of disposable dental handpieces. Their rotational properties were investigated to examine their clinical usefulness. The speed achieved with the handpiece using a plastic turbine blade was about 90% of that using an aluminum turbine blade and stopping torque was by no means inferior to the aluminum blade. Moreover, the rotational response time of the handpiece using a plastic turbine blade was shorter than that using an alminum turbine blade. Thus the plastic turbine blade was considered applicable to dental handpieces.
