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Short answer: a dental air polisher is a powered handpiece device that sprays a stream of compressed air, water and fine abrasive powder onto tooth surfaces to remove biofilm and stains. The powder (sodium bicarbonate, glycine, erythritol or trehalose are the ones described in the published literature) is what separates one system from another, and a powder must be matched to the handpiece it is used with. This page gives general product information for laboratory and clinic staff; it is not medical advice and not a procedure guide.
Definition and scope
A 2023 systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (Gheorghe et al., doi:10.3390/jcm12216936) describes air-polishing tools as devices that project “a stream of compressed air, mixed with water and abrasive particles” onto the tooth surface to remove dental biofilm, and presents them as an alternative to hand and ultrasonic scalers. The same review notes that, unlike hand and ultrasonic instruments, air-polishing equipment only removes biofilm.
In supply catalogues the same equipment appears under several names, including air polisher, air-polishing unit and powder-jet handpiece. This page treats them as one device class. It is a different thing from a prophylaxis angle, which is a handpiece attachment covered in dental handpiece types.
How a dental air polisher works in practice
The system has three inputs that the operator does not mix by hand: compressed air, water and a powder held in a chamber on the handpiece or unit. One manufacturer, W&H, states on its prophylaxis powder page that the right powder, the corresponding setting on the adjustment ring and the matching spray head together ensure the intended result, and that its handpiece and powders were developed as a complete system (W&H product page, checked 2026-10-31).
The published literature stresses that results depend on technique variables. The 2023 review reports that the effect of erythritol on dentin depends on factors such as spray distance, pressure and angle.
Powder types compared
The table below is limited to what the named sources state. It is a reading aid, not a ranking: the review’s authors conclude that higher-quality studies are still needed.
| Powder | What the sources state | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium bicarbonate | Used as the comparator in the literature; the review reports that glycine air polishing causes less gingival erosion than sodium bicarbonate air polishing or hand instrumentation. One vendor sodium bicarbonate powder lists an average particle size of 40 μm. | Gheorghe et al. 2023; W&H product page |
| Glycine | The most studied of the low-abrasive powders. One vendor glycine powder lists an average particle size of 25 μm and is water soluble. One cited study used 65 μm glycine. The review also notes that trehalose “seems to be more inert than glycine powder”. | Gheorghe et al. 2023; W&H product page |
| Erythritol | The review notes that a slight loss of dentin may occur after erythritol air polishing, depending on factors such as spray distance, pressure and angle. | Gheorghe et al. 2023 |
| Trehalose | Named in the review as one of the powders used in air-polishing tools; the review gives no particle size for it, and describes it as more inert than glycine. | Gheorghe et al. 2023 |
Particle sizes are not comparable across the rows: they come from a vendor product page and from a single cited study, and the review gives sizes for only one powder.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
Three points trace directly to the sources above.
- Powder and handpiece come as a matched set. The W&H documentation ties powder, ring setting and spray head together, so a powder is specified against a particular system rather than bought as a generic consumable. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for use for the powders the specific unit supports.
- Powders differ in chemistry and particle size. The same vendor lists a sodium bicarbonate powder (average 40 μm) and a glycine powder (average 25 μm, water soluble), and states that using other powders is not approved for its system and can increase abrasiveness or the risk of blockage. Read the labelling of any powder against the equipment it will be used with.
- Reprocessing and device regulation are separate questions. How reusable handpiece components are cleaned and sterilized is set by the manufacturer’s instructions; the general framework is in medical device reprocessing, and how the FDA sorts devices into classes is in FDA medical device classification. For the wider dental operatory equipment list, see the dental office supply checklist.
Common misunderstandings
“21 CFR 872.6080 is the air polisher regulation.”
It is not. 21 CFR 872.6080 is titled “Airbrush” and describes an AC-powered device used with articulation paper that “uses air-driven particles to roughen the surfaces of dental restorations” (Class II; eCFR text checked 2026-10-31). The words “air-driven particles” make it look related, but the regulation describes a restoration-roughening device, not a prophylaxis powder-jet polisher.
“An air polisher is the same as a prophy angle.”
No. A prophylaxis angle is an attachment on a dental handpiece; an air polisher is a powder-jet system. See dental handpiece types for the former.
“An air polisher does everything a scaler does.”
No. The review states that, unlike hand and ultrasonic instruments, air-polishing equipment only removes biofilm.
FAQ
What is a dental air polisher?
A powered device that sprays compressed air, water and abrasive powder onto teeth to remove biofilm and stains, described in the literature as an alternative to hand and ultrasonic scalers.
Which powders are used in dental air polishers?
The 2023 systematic review names sodium bicarbonate, glycine, trehalose and erythritol. Glycine is the one most studied for subgingival use.
Is glycine powder safer for gums than sodium bicarbonate?
The review reports that glycine air polishing causes less gingival erosion than sodium bicarbonate air polishing or hand instrumentation, and also concludes that higher-quality studies are needed. This is general literature information, not individual advice.
Can any powder be used in any air polisher?
Not according to W&H, which states that the use of other powders is not approved for its system and that use in other devices depends on the other manufacturer’s specifications. Follow the instructions for use of the specific unit.
Sources
- Gheorghe DN, Bennardo F, et al. “Subgingival Use of Air-Polishing Powders: Status of Knowledge: A Systematic Review.” J Clin Med 2023;12(21):6936. PMC10647465, checked 2026-10-31.
- 21 CFR 872.6080, Airbrush. ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-31.
- W&H, Prophylaxis Powder product page (vendor specifications, attributed as such). wh.com, checked 2026-10-31.
