Observations on Heat-Transmission Experiments with Dentin. 1. Laboratory Study

¹ Department of Endodontia, Royal Dental School, Malmö, Sweden, and Department of Dental Histopathology, Royal School of Dentistry, Stockholm, Sweden

Using equipment for measuring the heat rise when a thermode was applied to prepared tooth samples, the following observations were made. Heat rise was 25-32 per cent greater when silicone oil was used as an intervening medium between thermode and specimen and thermoelement and specimen. Glycerin was tested for the same purpose but was not found to be so suitable. When gypsum was used to imbed the specimen, a 50 per cent reduction in heat rise occurred. The preparation of the specimen was found to have considerable effect on the consistency and magnitude of results, and the preparation giving most consistency was that of a plain flat-surfaced dentin slab.