Additively manufactured blade-structured grinding tool for dental surgery

Conventional solid grinding tools in dental surgery rely on external water-cooling, which often fails to adequately reach the grinding interface, resulting in inefficient heat dissipation, obscured surgical vision, and risks of cross-infection. Additive manufacturing offers unprecedented design freedom to develop advanced surgical tools that address these limitations. Here, we present a novel 3D-printed blade-structured grinding tool with an integrated air-cooling strategy. CFD simulations and experimental validation demonstrated that the internal blade channels actively guide airflow to the grinding zone, enhancing convective heat dissipation and facilitating debris removal without liquid coolant. In vitro temperature assessment showed that the optimal design (12 blades-110°) reduced the peak grinding temperature to 31.4°C, approximately 9% lower than that of a conventional solid tool with water cooling, while maintaining a stable thermal profile. Furthermore, the tool produced a superior surface finish with minimal debris adhesion and exhibited high durability, with an abrasive wear rate below 5% after 60 min of grinding. This design provides a clear surgical field, effective thermal management, and reduced postoperative risks, advancing the development of next-generation dental grinding tools through additive manufacturing.