Purpose: To compare the effect of different designs of guiding sleeves on heat generation during implant surgery while using different cooling fluid temperatures.
Material and methods: Temperature measurements were performed during guided implant site preparation in bovine rib samples using two K- type thermocouples at 2 mm and 8 mm depths. Three groups were tested according to guiding sleeve design: conventional cylindrical sleeve, open C-shaped sleeve, and modified cylindrical sleeve. Each group was irrigated with three fluid temperatures: 10°C, 15°C, and 20°C. The groups were compared using Kruskal Wallis test followed by post hoc comparisons with Bonferroni correction. The level of statistical significance was set at p = 0.05.
Results: Surgical guides with conventional cylindrical sleeve design showed significantly higher heat generation during implant site preparation than guides with both the open C-shaped and the modified cylindrical sleeve designs at both 2mm and 8mm depths. The difference between C-shaped and modified cylindrical sleeves was not significant in any group. Using pre-cooled irrigation fluids (10°C and 15°C) reduced the generated heat; however, the differences within the same group were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: The use of a surgical guide with the conventional cylindrical sleeves led to higher heat generation than other sleeve designs, which might reach or near the critical threshold of bone thermal necrosis. Using surgical guides with open sleeves or modified cylindrical sleeves could be helpful in irrigation fluid delivery and decreasing the generated heat.
Keywords: Dental implant; computer-assisted surgery; osteotomy.
© 2021 by the American College of Prosthodontists.