Temperature increases during surface decontamination of titanium implants using CO2 laser

The purpose of the present in vitro investigation was to measure temperatur e changes at the implant surface when using pulsed CO2 laser in a simulated implant surface decontamination protocol. Six threaded titanium implants w ere placed in a fresh resected pig mandible. A 4x4 mm defect was created bu ccally to each implant in order to expose the implant head and approximatel y 5 threads. Temperature changes were monitored by two thermocouples placed near the dehiscence and at the apical part of the implant. Several setting combinations of the CO2, laser with regard to output power, pulse width, p ulse repetition rate and irradiation time were tested on dry and wet (disti lled water) surfaces. Only minor temperature increases were measured when l asing wet titanium surfaces, while the temperature at dry surfaces exceeded the proposed thresholds for bone damage at clinically relevant settings. I t is concluded that the CO2 laser when used on a wet implant surface in a p ulsed mode at 8 W/10 ms/ 20 hz during 5 s induces a temperature increase of less than 3 degrees C. This would minimize the risk of temperature induced tissue damage as a result of lasing implant surfaces.