The effect of speed, pressure, and time on bone temperature during the drilling of implant sites.

It is critical for the success of endosseous root-form implants that minimal heat is generated in the bone during the drilling of the implant sites. One aspect that has received little emphasis in the literature is the effect of the load placed on the drill during preparation of osteotomies. Temperatures and time were measured while drilling bovine cortical bone at speeds of 1,800 and 2,400 rpm and loads of 1.2 and 2.4 kg. Drilling at a low speed of 1,800 rpm and at a minimal load of 1.2 kg produced the same heat as when the drill speed was increased to 2,400 rpm and the load was increased to 2.4 kg. Independently increasing either the speed or the load caused an increase in temperature in bone. However, increasing both the speed and the load together allowed for more efficient cutting with no significant increase in temperature.