Say “Ahhhhh” to the Robot

The first fully automated dental surgery was recently performed in China, where a robotic dentist installed two implants in a human patient without intervention by the supervising doctors. According to reports, the implants matched the standards for this type of procedure, being installed through a set of preprogrammed commands with a 0.2mm-0.3mm margin of error. The teeth that were implanted were also created using 3-D printing technology.

The use of robotics in dentistry is not new. Robots have been increasingly used to assist with procedures such as implantations because of their ability to maneuver more accurately in small spaces like the oral cavity. The first—known as Yomi—was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March of this year. Assistive robots are also being used more widely in orthodontics and root canal surgeries. This is the first time, however, that a robot has operated on a patient without the assistance or guidance of a human dentist.

It is hoped that this new technology will help alleviate the shortage of qualified dentists in China, where a recent survey revealed that around 400 million people are in need of dental implants. The developers also believe that robotics has the potential to improve quality of care and reduce human error.