Temperature extremes produced orally by hot and cold liquids

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Oral Physiology

Background:

• In vitro thermocycling is crucial for evaluating dental materials' suitability for clinical use.
• A standardized temperature range for dental material thermocycling is currently lacking.
• Establishing an appropriate thermocycling range is essential for reliable in vivo performance prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine appropriate temperature extremes for in vitro thermocycling of dental materials.
• To establish a standardized temperature range based on intraoral temperature variations in humans.
• To enhance the accuracy of dental material testing for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an intraoral digital thermometer probe to measure temperature extremes in 13 human subjects.
• Monitored oral temperatures during the consumption of very hot and cold liquids.
• Adjusted recorded temperature data for potential measurement errors.

Main Results:

• Identified a range of oral temperatures experienced by human subjects.
• The measured intraoral temperature extremes were between 0°C and 67°C.
• This range provides a basis for standardizing thermocycling protocols.

Conclusions:

• A thermocycling range of 0°C to 67°C is proposed as appropriate for dental material testing.
• This range reflects actual oral temperature fluctuations, improving the relevance of in vitro tests.
• Standardizing thermocycling temperatures will lead to more predictable dental material performance in vivo.