Dental implantology – a robot’s domain?
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 28th April 2022
It seems mere months ago that I first discussed the possibilities of robotics in dental implantology, ominously ending my thoughts with my usual “let’s see what the future brings” and thinking, deep down, that it would be a long time before robots started to be a true option in the field.
However, with recent technologies advancing quickly, it seems that dental implantology may soon become the realm of robots much sooner than any of us could have imagined. Indeed, a recent article on Dental Tribune revealed that one robotic system, Yomi, has just hit the milestone of placing 10,000 dental implants.[i]
First granted FDA approval in 2016 for general dental implant procedures, the system was then further granted consent to perform full-arch dental implant treatments in 2020. That’s not all, and this Yomi system has also been used to help teach dental students about implant placement and assist with these procedures.
So, with this technology making quite startling leaps and bounds forward, is it time to crown robots as the kings of dental implantology? In many ways it’s easy to see how robots could outperform human counterparts, especially in terms of accuracy. A paper that examined robots within healthcare settings found that when tasked with stitching up a pig’s small intestines, a robotic system far outperformed its human counterparts, achieving the surgery more accurately and in a faster timeframe.[ii]
Granted, this is an isolated example, but it does go to show that a well-programmed machine is very capable of achieving surgical excellency, which, as the foundation of dental implantology, means that robots may indeed have the edge. This isn’t the only dental robot on the market either, and across the world there are numerous systems being developed that may quickly integrate into our practices.
However, I’m in no way suggesting we surrender to our robotic overlords just yet. If we think of what dental implantology involves and how traumatic this process can be for patients, it’s clear that we still need a human touch. Patients need reassurance and understanding, and at this time even the best surgical robot can’t supply that – at least, not yet.
What I think the next step in robotics and dentistry will be is a more collaborative affair. Robots thankfully still require human operation, and if we can combine our skills with the accuracy and faster operation that these provide, then it’s likely that dental implantology will become a safer, more predictable treatment for all.
In the end, robots are an exciting development to be embraced, but we should also consider them more as an adjunct to our skills than a way to replace them. The human approach will always have an emotional edge, so until implantbot5000 comes along with perfect human emotional capacity, we should feel safe that our skilled dentists are still the number one way to help patients who require dental implants.
EndoCare, led by Dr Michael Sultan, is one of the UK’s most trusted Specialist Endodontist practices. Through the use of the latest technologies and techniques, the highly-trained team can offer exceptional standards of care – always putting the patient first. What’s more, EndoCare is a dependable referral centre, to which dentists from across the country send their patients for the best in specialist endodontic treatment.
For further information please call EndoCare on 020 7224 0999
Or visit www.endocare.co.uk
[i] Dental Tribune. Over 10,000 Dental Implants Placed Using Yomi Robotic System. Link: https://www.dental-tribune.com/news/over-10000-dental-implants-placed-using-yomi-robotic-system/ [Last accessed January 22].
[ii] BMJ. Medicine And The Rise of Robots: A Qualiative Review of
