Objective: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of bone type, drill diameter, drilling speed, and irrigation on heat generation while performing osteotomy for dental implants.
Materials and methods: Six polyurethane foam blocks simulating type I (dense) and type IV (soft) bone were selected for the study. Each block was subjected to two different experimental conditions for each drill (2- and 3.5-mm diameter): three sub-groups were created: (a) revolutions per minute (50, 100, or 800 rpm) and (b) irrigation (with or without irrigation).
Results: In 2-mm drill group, maximum temperature attained was practically identical: 23.73 ± 2.28 °C in the cortical bone and 23.74 ± 2.03 °C in the cancellous bone. For 3.5-mm, groups showed similar results (25.01 ± 1.88 °C for cortical and 24.05 ± 1.94 °C for trabecular bone). In any type of bone, the presence of irrigating fluid helped to control the maximum temperature (p = 0.001). When comparing the 2-mm and 3.5-mm drills, most differences were found at 100 rpm without irrigation (p < 0.001) and at 800 rpm with irrigation (p = 0.001).
Conclusions: Maximum temperature attained was always below the critical threshold that can cause osteonecrosis, showing that both external irrigation with higher drilling speeds and no irrigation with lower speeds were effective methods to avoid excessive heat generation.
Clinical relevance: Despite being always below the critical temperature, bone type, drill diameter, drilling speed, and irrigation must be considered temperature-influencing factors during implant osteotomies.
Keywords: Bone mineral density; Dental implant; Implant drill; In vitro; Polyurethane foam.