Lubricating coolants for high-speed dental handpieces

Cutting studies were performed on tooth enamel, dental amalgam, and composite resin through use of carbide burs and diamond stones with three irrigants. A mixture of water, alcohol, and glycerol significantly increased the rate of material removal when enamel was cut with diamonds and when dental amalgam was cut with diamonds and carbide burs. In contrast, the rate of material removal for composite resin was significantly faster with use of carbide burs than diamond stones, and the irrigant improved the cutting action for carbide burs. The studies indicate that chemomechanical effects operate with dental substrates, but the effect varies with the material being cut and the cutting tool used. The chemomechanical effects observed here significantly improve the rate of material removal with diamond stones and carbide burs.