Comparison of wear and temperature of zirconia and tungsten carbide tools in drilling bone: in vitro and finite element analysis

Drilling is extensively used in operations on bones and dental implants, and yet poses a considerable challenge because it can damage cells as well as cause mechanical and thermal stresses to the bone. The goal of this study was to assess the temperature changes and instrument wear using both zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) ceramics and tungsten carbide (WC) tools using a 3-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) of bone drilling. The wear of conical burrs made from ZrO2 and tungsten carbide was measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image processing software.
Source: The British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research