Objectives The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the heat generation during guided osteotomy preparation (GOP) with that of a conventional approach (CA) for a single and sequential drilling protocol. Methods Temperature measurements were performed during standardized osteotomy preparations in polyurethane foam blocks with an infrared camera. The four groups included single and sequential drilling with and without the use of a surgical guide. In the first group (single CA) and the second group (single GOP), only the final drills diameters were applied once. In the third group (sequential CA) and the fourth group (sequential GOP), two to four drills with increasing diameters were applied. Guided and conventional as well as single and sequential drilling were compared using a one‐way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test. The level of statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results Guided osteotomy preparation showed statistically significant higher temperatures than CA for the 2.2 mm, the 3.5 mm, and the 4.2 mm drill (p = 0.032, p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). Sequential drilling led to higher heat generation and longer duration of latent heat than single drilling. For all drilling procedures, the duration of heat exposure over critical temperature was less than 1 min, except for the sequential GOP drilling protocol with the 4.2 mm drill (76 s). Conclusions Guided drilling requires specific attention to heat development. When guided implant surgery is performed, a single drilling procedure could alleviate heat production compared to a sequential procedure.