Abstract: Medical, in particular dental, contra-angle handpieces for driving a dental instrument connected to the contra-angle handpiece with shafts arranged in the contra-angle handpiece for the transmission of the drive movement to the instrument. In order to achieve a reduction of sound emission and a reduction of the manufacturing and assembly costs while still incorporating the curvature of the outer sleeve of the contra-angle handpiece and the advantages which this entails, the contra-angle handpiece is equipped with a single-piece shaft which is essentially centered at the proximal end and the distal end of the outer sleeve, but runs eccentrically in a section of the outer sleeve between the proximal end and the distal end. The curvature of the outer sleeve of the contra-angle handpiece is in the range of about 8° to about 16°, and in some implementations, in the range of about 10° to about 14°.