Comparative evaluation of intraosseous temperature and drilling time using four different drill designs in implant site preparation

The aim of this study was to compare the thermal effects and drilling efficiency of four different implant osteotomy systems -conventional stainless steel drills (CS), velodrills (VD), ceramic drills (CD), and bone-enhancing drills (BE)- under standardized experimental conditions. A total of 160 osteotomies were performed on fresh bovine rib bone blocks using four different drill systems. Each group included 40 repetitions. A standardized protocol was applied, including constant irrigation (50 ml/min), drilling speed (800 rpm), and axial load (2 kg). Each drill was used for the entire 40 repetitions per system. However, all drills were inspected before and after the experiments to ensure no visible damage, and the performance decline was analyzed over time. Temperature changes on the bone surface were recorded using a 14-bit digital infrared thermal camera. Drilling time was measured for each osteotomy. Statistical analysis was conducted using Dunn’s multiple comparisons test to evaluate differences between groups. The ceramic drill group (CD) exhibited the highest mean temperature (24.82 ± 2.69 °C) and the longest mean drilling time (17.07 ± 6.82 s). The conventional stainless steel drill (CS), velodrill (VD), and bone-enhancing drill (BE) systems demonstrated significantly shorter drilling times and lower temperature values. Statistically significant differences in temperature and drilling time were observed between CD and other systems (p < 0.0001). While all systems remained below the critical thermal threshold for bone necrosis, ceramic drills were significantly associated with greater thermal load and procedural duration (p < 0.0001). Under standardized experimental conditions, all drill systems remained within safe thermal limits. However, ceramic drills generated more heat and required significantly longer drilling times compared to other systems. Conventional stainless steel and velodrill systems demonstrated promising thermal control and efficiency in this in vitro setting, which may inform clinical decisions. However, further validation including drill wear rate and biological response is necessary before clinical endorsement.