Temperature Changes during Implant Osteotomy Preparations in Human Cadaver Tibiae Comparing MIS^® Straight Drills with...

(1) Background: Several studies showed a sustained temperature of 47 °C or 50 °C for one minute resulted in vascular stasis and bone resorption with only limited bone regrowth over a 3-4-week healing period. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the temperature changes (ΔΤ) that occur during the preparation of dental implant osteotomies using MIS^® straight drills versus Densah^® burs in a clockwise (cutting) drilling protocol. (2) Methods: Two hundred forty (240) osteotomies of two different systems' drills were prepared at 6 mm depth at 800, 1000, and 1200 revolutions per minute (RPM), in fresh, unembalmed tibiae, obtained by a female cadaver. ΔΤ was calculated by subtracting the baseline temperature on the tibial surface, from the maximum temperature-inside the osteotomy (ΔT = T_max - T_base). The variables were evaluated both for their individual and for their synergistic effect on ΔΤ with the use of one-, two-, three- and four-way interactions; (3) Results: An independent and a three-way interaction (drill design, drill width, and RPM) was found in all three RPM for the Densah^® burs and at 1000 RPM for the MIS^® straight drills. As Densah^® burs diameter increased, ΔΤ decreased. The aforementioned pattern was seen only at 1000 RPM for the MIS^® straight drills. The usage of drills 20 times more than the implant manufacturers' recommendation did not significantly affect the ΔΤ. A stereoscopic examination of the specimens confirmed the findings. (4) Conclusions: The independent and synergistic effect of drills' diameter, design and RPM had a significant effect on ΔΤ in human tibiae, which never exceeded the critical threshold of 47 °C.