Thermal changes observed at implant sites during internal and external irrigation.

In the preparation of osseointegrated dental implant sites, the use of bone drilling with conventional external irrigation has been shown to be thermally non-injurious to bovine bone, when employed as a model for dental implantology. The use of internal irrigation drilling systems is promoted on the basis of improved delivery of coolant to the bone/drill interface, which should subsequently improve local debridement and cooling, and therefore reduce thermal insults to the bone. The aim of this bovine model study was to compare the temperatures that were generated with external and internal irrigation systems during bone preparation for dental implants.