IrriGUIDE Adapter

Any dentist who places implants knows there’s a critical temperature that can’t be exceeded when drilling into bone. Indeed, reaching a temperature of over 47°C is punishable by death—death of the bone, that is—and a fast track to implant failure. Luckily, most implant drilling units have a built-in water spray that keeps the osteotomy site cool for a successful implant placement. But the transition from freehand placement to 3D-printed surgical guides has heated things back up again.

So, What’s the Problem?

“Guided implant placement has become very common, to the point where we’re able to very accurately translate our digital implant plan onto a surgical guide,” said Dr. Thomas Jackson, a board-certified periodontist and founder of the Chicago Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry. “It allows for drilling and placement of the implant to almost the exact position that we’ve planned in the software.”

While this level of precision is a great benefit to both clinicians and patients—no more poorly positioned implants that can’t be restored esthetically—there is one small problem.

“Because of the way surgical guides are made, they block the irrigation from coming out of the drill motor and hitting the bone,” said Dr. Jackson. “And if the site is not adequately irrigated, there’s a risk that the temperature will exceed what the bone can handle to maintain its health and vitality.” This can lead to implant failure or bone loss around the implant, which predisposes it to peri-implant disease, esthetic problems, or other issues down the road.

Cool with Confidence

“I invented the IrriGUIDE Adapter as a retrofit device that simply and easily attaches to a surgical guide so that the irrigation tubing from the drilling unit connects directly to the guide, passing water through it and onto the osteotomy site,” explained Dr. Jackson. After drilling a precision hole into the surgical guide with the IrriGUIDE seating bur, the adapter is attached to the guide in a quick, 1-minute process.

“Instead of the assistant squirting a hand syringe with saline at the drill to keep the site irrigated, they can set this up once and then concentrate on the drilling protocols and patient comfort,” he added. “Now, you’ve got better efficiency. You don’t have to stop and reload hand syringes, and from a visibility standpoint, you don’t have your assistant’s hands in the mouth with an irrigating syringe, which can get in the way of the surgeon.”

An IrriGUIDE starter kit includes seating and trimming burs, 5 adapters, and cyanoacrylate glue to attach the adapter to the surgical guide.