Internal bone temperature change during guided surgery preparations for dental implants: an in vitro study

Area of Science:

• Dental implantology
• Surgical techniques
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Bone preparation in dental implantology is crucial for osseointegration.
• Minimizing heat generation during bone drilling is essential to prevent thermal osteonecrosis.
• Guided surgery offers enhanced precision but its thermal effects require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the thermal effects of guided surgery devices and procedures during bone preparation.
• To compare heat generation between guided surgery and conventional techniques in a porcine model.

Main Methods:

• An in vitro study utilized porcine ribs to simulate bone preparation.
• Four groups were established: open-flap guided surgery (OGS), flapless guided surgery (FGS), open-flap conventional surgery (OSS), and flapless conventional surgery (OFS).
• Temperature changes were measured using thermocouples at two depths near the osteotomy site.

Main Results:

• Guided surgery groups (FGS and OGS) showed a statistically significant increase in bone temperature near the surface (Point A).
• No significant differences in temperature were observed at deeper sites (Point B) between guided and conventional techniques with specific drills.
• The highest temperature increases were recorded in the flapless guided surgery group.

Conclusions:

• Surgical template-guided bone preparation generates more heat than conventional drilling.
• Despite increased temperatures, guided surgery heat levels remained below the threshold considered dangerous for bone viability.
• The findings suggest that while guided surgery increases thermal load, it does not pose a significant risk of thermal damage to bone.