Addition of an irrigation channel to a surgical template to facilitate cooling during implant osteotomy

The increased precision and design of surgical templates for static computer-aided implant surgery has led to concerns of excessive heat generation from the friction between the twist drills, metal sleeves in the surgical template, and guide handles during osteotomy preparation. In addition, the presence of a surgical template can prevent proper cooling of the twist drill as it enters the osteotomy site, leading to greater heat generation. This excessive heat may result in bone necrosis and failure of osseointegration to the implant surface. This article describes a straightforward technique of incorporating an existing design feature in many virtual implant planning software programs to add an irrigation channel to the implant surgical template for effective cooling during osteotomy preparation.