- Faster than any dentist: first treatment by a robot
Going to the dentist, especially when a drilling is involved, is no joy for most people. It's even worse when the procedure takes a long time and minutes feel like hours - always accompanied by the high-pitched whirring of the little machines in the mouth. The bad news is that this is unlikely to change anytime soon - teeth are teeth and cavities eventually catch up with many patients.
The good news is that everything that follows could at least be a bit faster in the future. As the US startup Perceptive has now announced, the world's first dental procedure performed by a fully automatic robot has been successful. And in record time: The robotic arm needed only 15 minutes for a tooth preparation that a dentist would typically schedule for two appointments, according to Perceptive.
First a scan, then the treatment - without a dentist
For the procedures, a 3D imaging of the teeth is created first - without X-rays. The entire mouth area is illuminated with a handheld scanner. The technology used for this is called "optical coherence tomography".
Once the data is available, the doctor plans the upcoming procedures. Then - if the Perceptive robot is ever approved - the AI-controlled machine would take over. As "Newatlas" reports, Perceptive assures that the robot works reliably even if the patient moves relatively much.
If the system works reliably, the advantages of a treatment by Dr. Robo are obvious. Appointments could be processed much faster in practices and human errors would be excluded with a takeover by the computer. The science magazine "IEEE Spectrum" spoke with CEO Chris Ciriello about this. As a former rural dentist, he has set himself the goal of supporting particularly overloaded practices with a large catchment area with such technology.
It also seems that the robot does not need as much visibility of the teeth as doctors do. This could result in a more relaxed mouth position during the procedures, without annoying and sometimes painful holding devices.
Technology "in a few years" ready
As already mentioned, the Perceptive robot is not yet approved and Perceptive has not yet announced a specific timeline, according to "Newatlas". Ciriello told "IEEE Spectrum" that he expects "a few years". So the fully automatic humming of the drills is still music of the future. The company is currently working with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Forsyth Institute of the American Dental Association for research.
The patient might benefit from faster appointments in the future, as the successful implementation of a fully automatic dental robot by Perceptive involves just 15 minutes for a tooth preparation that usually requires two visits from a dentist. If approved, the AI-controlled machine could also reduce human errors during procedures, ensuring more accurate treatments for patients.
