Although the concept of robot-assisted surgery might seem futuristic, the method has existed for decades (with the first procedure taking place back in 1985). Eye surgery, cardiac surgery, and gastrointestinal surgery are among the fields where robotic assistants are becoming more common. But what about dentistry? If you're about to receive a dental implant, your dentist may have some robotic assistance. How is this different from the typical process?

An Assistant

Dental clinics that use robotic assistance for implants may use a system such as Yomi dental implants. Banish any thoughts of autonomous robots from your mind. It's not as though the dentist steps out of the room and allows the robot to get to work. Remember, the robot is assisting with your surgery—not directly performing the surgery itself.

The Robot

The robot itself is simply a processor with a number of attached screens and a self-guiding robotic arm. The arm can be outfitted with a variety of tools that are necessary to place a dental implant. It's not just the robot (the system's hardware) that is assisting with your surgery. The system's software is used to plan your implantation, with the system able to display real-time digital modeling of the patient's mouth during the procedure.

Freehand

The system is designed to remove human error from the equation. This isn't to suggest that human error is commonly responsible for dental implant complications and failure. Traditional dental implants involve the use of diagnostic tools (such as an x-ray), with the dentist then performing the work in a freehand manner, using the results of diagnostic testing as a guide. A robot assistant offers far more precision, making it a refinement of existing methods instead of an entirely new method.

The Robotic Arm

As the patient, the only difference you're likely to notice is the use of the robotic arm. This will extend itself over your open mouth, having targeted the precise location and angle of the incision that must be made to place your implant. The robot itself doesn't do any drilling. The drill on its arm is held by your dentist, who then operates it. The arm (as guided by the system's software) simply helps the surgeon to achieve the optimal placement of your implant. 

The sheer amount of data generated by a robotic assistant helps to create a personalized, digital surgical guide of unsurpassed detail for your implant procedure. This added precision results in a dental implant that is functional and comfortable, while further minimizing the already low risk of human error.

Contact a dental office near you, such as Elite Smile Center, to learn more.