Are dental drills a thing of the past?

There is no sound more full of memories than the dentist's drill. The noise is unique and linked in our memories to at least discomfort, and in many cases actual pain. But new technology may finally make that noise a thing of the past, replacing it with "cold plasma".

The benefits are huge. The drill is not only loud, but it’s extremely invasive and damaging, and can actually cause more problems then it solves. Researchers have discovered a way to make something called “cold plasma” which will actually sterilize a tooth instead of grinding out the damaged tissue. To be honest, researchers aren’t entirely sure exactly how the plasma works to destroy the bacteria, but they are able to determine that a burst of about 12-18 seconds will completely eliminate the problem.