High-speed drill noise and hearing: audiometric survey of 70 dentists

Many dentists believe that noise generated from high-speed drills results in a significant loss of hearing. Audiological evaluations, consisting of hearing thresholds at eight frequencies (500 to 800 Hz) and impedance audiometry, were done of 70 dentists from eight specialties. No statistical decrease in hearing thresholds appeared in either the speech or high frequencies when the dentists were compared with a normal, age-adjusted population.