How loud is a dentist's drill? 68–80.7 dBA

What the numbers mean

How it was measured. High-speed turbine drill noise 68 to 79 dBA (Finnish study, 1990); LAeq 80.7 dBA from an air-driven handpiece with a suction isolation system while preparing teeth (Pediatric Dentistry, 2024). Distances not stated in the abstracts.

The whine of a dental drill comes from an air turbine spinning the bur at very high speed. A 1990 Finnish study found the noise was tonal with its spectrum peak always above 6 kHz, which is why it sounds so piercing, and measured sound pressure levels of 68 to 79 dBA. An older cartridge-type ball-bearing drill from the early 1960s was 8.5 dB noisier than an air-bearing drill.

A 2024 Pediatric Dentistry study preparing teeth for crowns found the air-driven handpiece used with a Dryshield suction system was loudest, at 80.7 dBA LAeq on a sound level meter; dosimeters gave 84.9 to 86 dBA. None of the combinations reached the 90 dBA eight-hour limit set by OSHA.

For patients the exposure lasts only as long as the treatment. The Finnish study found the hearing of dentists free from ear disease was good and similar to that of people with no noise exposure.

How long is safe?

Below 85 dBA, the level NIOSH allows for a full 8-hour day.

Level	NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule)	OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule)	UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after	UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after
80.7 dBA	No limit	No limit	6 h 49 min	Not reached in 24 h

Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.

Protecting your hearing

Patients can wear foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones during treatment. Dental staff can use filtered earplugs that reduce high-pitched noise but allow conversation.

Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.

Compared with sounds nearby

Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).

Alarm clock (60–80 dBA): this has about 2.7× its sound energy and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
Inside a car (65–77.2 dBA): this has about 2.1× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
Lorry (heavy truck) (76–82 dBA max): it has about 2.9× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
Air compressor (78–81 dBA max): it has about 3.3× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 15× its energy and sounds about 2.3× as loud.

Questions

How many decibels is a dental drill?

About 68 to 81 dBA in published measurements.

Why does the dentist's drill sound so high-pitched?

Its noise is tonal, with the spectrum peak above 6 kHz, where hearing is sensitive.

Sources

Dentists' hearing and exposure to high speed turbine dental drill noise, Proceedings of the Finnish Dental Society. Supports: dB_low: 68 dBA; 79 dBA.Sound pressure levels of DDN ranged from 68 to 79 dBA, being within safe limits.Checked 2026-11-02.
Comparing Noise Production of Pediatric Dental Instrumentation Techniques, Pediatric Dentistry. Supports: dB_high: 80.7 dBA LAeq.equals 80.7±0.7 dBAChecked 2026-11-02.
Comparing Noise Production of Pediatric Dental Instrumentation Techniques, Pediatric Dentistry. Supports: below OSHA 90 dBA.None of the pediatric dental instrument combinations studied reached the LAeq equals 90 dBA limitation for eight hoursChecked 2026-11-02.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.