Inside the World's First Robot Dental Procedure Performed on a Human

Historic firsts are happening daily in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, but few anticipated a robot assisting with a dental procedure. Who was the brave individual prepared to be the world's guinea pig in robotic dentistry? More importantly, was it as proficient and successful as a human?

A Dentistry First

Boston company Perceptive developed an AI-powered autonomous robot. The engineers equipped it with a volumetric intraoral scanner and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to create 3D mouth models. OCT is an imaging solution without radiation, potentially making X-rays obsolete in the future. It is surprisingly intricate, outlining teeth, gums and subsurface nerves and is also highly accurate in automatic cavity detection.

The robot didn’t operate completely independently. A human dentist was still present for analysis and consultation. They looked at the imaging and discussed the procedure with the patient before the robot began but left the room when operations started. The world’s first patient was getting a dental crown.

The robot completed the task in 15 minutes compared to the several hours and sessions it would take human hands. For people who have had crowns put in, this is a significant improvement over the discomfort felt in two hours of drilling on an exhausted, stretched mouth. The dentists on-site were optimistic about its capabilities, suggesting it could revolutionize dentistry forever to be more comfortable and practical for patients.

Other Robots in the Dental Sector

Alongside Perceptive’s robot are several other prototypes in research stages, including:

• Drilling robots.
• Tooth-arranging robots.
• Orthodontic archwire-bending robots.
• Other crown-preparation robots.

Comprehensive reviews prove robots strive to help with scans, pre-operations, data collection, diagnosis and automated drilling tasks. The studies show some robotic arms can tell when jaws begin to tire, offering lifting support to reduce fatigue.

Dental robots with these abilities are new, but improving dentistry with the help of automation and computer programs has been happening for some time. What are some examples patients may not even be aware of?

3D Printing

3D printers can dock up aligners and prosthetics with the help of a connected robot. This makes custom dentistry more scalable. Research on the effectiveness of these prints shows some materials boost the tensile strength by 41.4% for tested products.

Teledentistry

Dental assistants in various forms — whether chatbots or consultants — are some of the most common dentistry robots. Teledentistry is when they facilitate dental monitoring and patient management through video calls or other remote technologies.

AI capabilities weave into video programs to identify visual concerns or assess data to make suggestions for treatment. It is a necessary tool, as urban sprawl and rural residents find it challenging to reach a dentist’s office.

Robotic Prosthetics

Though they are currently rare and still in the development stages, some robots are available to help with fitting and sizing dental prosthetics. They can use advanced imaging — like the Perceptive robot — to gather precise measurements for the most comfortable fit.

The Future of Dental Robotics

Knowing what technologies are already in use versus what’s possible with novel robotics, what could the future hold?

Patient Buy-In

Dental robots will become the norm, operating alongside dentists to provide an empathetic touch with the precision and speed of advanced technologies. Whether patients will feel comfortable is another issue entirely. However, autonomous procedures are hitting multiple places in the medical sector outside of dentistry — people will need to become accustomed to this idea faster than they think.

As research studies and trials become publicized, patients will begin associating dental robotics with quality services and safety. Eventually, a cultural mindset shift will occur.

Regulatory Approval and Training

The next step would be for these robots to receive FDA approval and dental technicians to receive training. There has yet to be a timeline for this specific robot, but it may be prolonged if the company expands its potential into more diverse procedures.

Presently, this robot specializes only in restorative treatments. Who is to say dental robots would be incapable of doing more complex tasks like implants or wisdom teeth surgery?

Better Patient Experience

Ultimately, the benefits outweigh the costs. If dental offices adopt these robots when they become regulated and thoroughly tested, the time saved and labor reductions should increase profits for dental professionals while slashing patient responsibility. Real dentists will never go out of style because their personal touch and care are still inherent requirements of health care. The doctor-patient relationship will remain, even if the robot operates the drill.

Toothy Tech

Will the world accept robot arms drilling its pearly whites? The future is still uncertain, as these robots are still new. However, it is a promising look into expanded, accessible health care.

With a robot’s help, offices can take more patients and reduce fear surrounding dental establishments. There are too many productivity and quality-of-life boons to ignore. Anticipate advancements in the coming years because the next annual visit may have a robot brushing teeth.