Effect of the use of a surgical guide on heat generation during implant placement: A comparative in vitro study

Heat generation is considered a decisive factor in the occurrence of bone necrosis during implant placement, which can happen when the temperature exceeds a threshold of 47°C for 1 min. The use of a surgical guide to aid implant placement has gained popularity in the last few years. Whether it increases the risk of bone necrosis is still debatable.

The aim of the present study was to compare heat generation during implant placement with and without the use of a surgical guide.

The study sample consisted of 80 measurement sites placed near 40 dental implant sockets, which were prepared on 10 bone-like dental models. These models were divided into 5 models for the conventional method group and 5 models for the surgical guide group. Each model had 4 implant sockets prepared, and then two 1-millimeter-wide holes were drilled <1 mm away from the socket on the opposite sides of the implant socket to be used as temperature measurement sites. The diameter of the drill was standardized to 2.2 mm, and 4 different drill lengths were used (6, 8, 10, and 12 mm). The data was analyzed using the SPSS for Windows software, v. 13.0. A p-value of <0.05 was deemed statistically significant.

Significant differences were found in heat generation between the conventional group (41.07°C) and the surgical guide group (42.97°C) (p < 0.05). Significant changes in temperature were recorded after drilling, regardless of the method used (p < 0.05). Moreover, the length of the drill was associated with temperature changes, with longer drills generating more heat (p < 0.05).

Within the limitations of this study, the use of a surgical guide resulted in higher temperatures as compared to the conventional method of implant placement. However, the highest recorded temperature was far below the threshold for bone necrosis.