Robot dentist completes first ever operation without human input
NewsPosted by: manpreet.boora 29th September 2017
A robot has carried out a dental operation in China without help from humans for the first time, carrying out implant surgery on a patient.
Although the medical staff was present during the one-hour surgery in Xian, Shaanxi province, they did not play an active role.
According to The Independent, two new teeth, created by 3D printing, were successfully implanted into a woman’s mouth, the South China Morning Post reported.
The robot was developed by Beihang University in Beijing and the Fourth Military Medical University’s Stomatological Hospital.
Dr. Zhao Yimin, who works at the hospital, told the newspaper the robot was designed to carry out dental procedures and avoid mistakes made by human error.
It followed a set of pre-programmed commands to fit the implants into the patient’s mouth but was able to make adjustments as the woman moved.
The robot was built to help deal with China’s shortage of qualified dentists. Hong Kong and Singapore are also facing a shortage of dentists, experts have warned.
