Air turbine handpieces are expected to continue to be widely used as the main means of carrying out dental cutting work and scope exists for further design improvements. An understanding of the theoretical principles governing the performance of these devices seems essential for the systematic development of better handpiece designs and methods of specification. Furthermore, for experimental work on cutting behaviour with air turbine equipment, this knowledge is required for appropriate characterization of the performance of the particular handpiece used with respect to actual rates of energy disposition. The literature relating to air turbine handpiece performance is critically reviewed to assess currently available methods of measuring important variables such as speed, torque, and power. In this, consideration is given to the current state of knowledge of the influence on these variables of air pressure, flow and turbine design features. It is apparent that, although various measurement methods have been described and data for individual handpieces published, no attempt has yet been made to explore the functional relationships that exist between the variables. It is concluded that there is a need to identify the factors influencing turbine performance, to develop measurement systems which would provide adequate accuracy and precision and then to investigate the functional relationships between these relevant variables.