Perceptive – a Massachusetts-based dental company specializing in imaging software, AI, and robotics – recently presented a fully automated dental operation conducted by a robot dentist.
This case is the first-ever successful 'autonomous treatment' in history, conducted much faster than traditional operation with a 'biological' doctor.
How does it work, and when should we observe a robotization of dentistry? Let's find out.
What did scientists invent?
The 'robotic dentist' – is a complex system containing:
- A sophisticated 3D scanner equipped with optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology allows for the creation of a precise model of patient gums, teeth, nerves, and the whole mouth cavity.
- AI guiding software – a special program that analyzes received scans and determines the location of disease (in the experiment, it was a tooth cavity)
- Robotic arms are the executive part of the system, guided by an AI algorithm.
This system eliminates the need to use harmful X-ray radiation – OCT technology using only light beams.
Is it effective?
In some sense, yes! The current version of the robot is able to prepare a tooth for a dental crown in just 15 minutes. As the company claims, in the case of an 'organic dentist,' such an operation took about 2 hours, and doctors usually split it into two visits. According to the developer's plan, the robotic dentist will cooperate with their live colleague to approve the particular operation and then execute it according to the precise treatment plan.
Such characteristics can significantly cut treatment time and reduce costs. However, implementing such a device will probably require a huge one-time investment to purchase the hardware and software components and train your staff to cooperate properly.
Should we wait for the robotization of dentistry?
Despite the promising results, the device has not been approved by the FDA, and developers have not provided information about rollout deadlines. Theoretically, it will take years to complete and adapt such a system for daily use in clinics.
