It has been more than 10 years since Japan unveiled the now famous robot dental patient for students to practise their skills on, known as Pedia_Roid. The latest generation of the technology simulates a child’s response to dental pain during treatment – complete with eye rolls and screaming – creating a hyper-realistic environment in which professionals can learn. Comparisons to Chucky aside, the patient robot is having a significant impact on the dental education of the future.
But that is not the only area in which robotics is being successfully utilised.
I was interested to learn that substantial new investment was recently acquired by a US company working on robot-assisted dental implant surgery. The technology appears to be one of the most advanced of its kind, having already been cleared by the FDA as a robotic navigational system supporting planning and intraoperative stages of implant surgery.
Though not a robot presented in the same way as the aforementioned humanoid, this is representative of the AI-driven technology that is becoming more common throughout the global dental professional. The benefits of robotic intervention and support are multiple, ensuring their place in modern dentistry. Indeed, studies already show that robot-assisted implant placement is more accurate than surgery performed with static navigation.
We are no strangers to robotics in endodontics either, though this is a field with scope for substantial development yet. For example, microscopic technology often integral for successful outcomes. Micro-robotic tools are also commonly used to enable highly precise and minimally invasive endodontic treatment.
Initial steps have been taken in other areas of robot-assisted endodontics, though further research and technological advancement is needed. For instance, an endodontic ‘vending machine’ that provides the necessary instruments during root canal treatment has been reported; although, again, more study is required before such machines are commonplace in the dental surgery!
I am often drawn back to this subject whenever a new break-through technology is developed or announcement made. This AI-assisted equipment is very much the future of dentistry and we should all remain abreast of what’s happening at the cutting-edge, even if the technology is not yet for general consumption. Do I think robots will take over the world and replace dentists? No, I don’t. But I am confident that they will play a much bigger role in the dental care provided to patients in the coming years.
