title: The heat sink and its relationship to reducing heat during pin-reduction procedures.
abstract: When self-threading pins are used in the restoration of teeth, the heat generated by cutting these pins to the correct length may traumatize the pulp. This study evaluated cotton forceps and a mosquito hemostat used as a heat sink and at different positions on the pin to determine any change in heat transferred to the tooth. Three hundred self-threading pins (Whaledent TMS System: 100 each of the Regular, Minim, and Minikin sizes) were inserted into freshly extracted teeth and sectioned. The temperature change at the apical end of the pin was measured using a thermistor probe. The results indicated that metal supporting instruments can be effective in reducing heat transferred to the apical aspect of the pin during pin reduction.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, College of Dental Medicine, Division of Operative Dentistry, Charleston 29425-2605, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D003772:Dental Pins / Q000009:adverse effects; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000293:injuries; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D003368:Gossypium; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D013816:Thermodynamics