First-ever robot-led dental surgery performed in China

After taking a CT scan to acquire data on the female patient’s skull and jaw, the medical staff fitted position orientation equipment to the woman and determined the movements, angle and depth needed to fit the implants in her mouth so that the robot could be programmed to move into the correct position to carry out the operation. According to Prof. Zhao Yimin, a surgeon from the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU) in Xi’an, the procedure went very smoothly and the implants were placed with high precision.

Although human staff were present at all times during the 1-hour surgery, they did not play an active role. The robot, which was jointly developed by the Beihang University in Beijing in China and FMMU’s Stomatological Hospital over the last four years, is designed to follow a set of preprogrammed commands, but is able to make adjustments during surgery, the South China Morning Post reported.

According to a recent survey, about 400 million patients are in need of dental implants in China. However, the number of qualified dentists in the country is insufficient to meet the increasing demand. Through a continuing implementation of robot technology, this shortage may be eased.

In the future, robot-assisted and -led technology could increasingly facilitate dental surgeons’ work, experts have predicted. Robotic technology has already been introduced in recent years to assist in dental procedures such as root canal therapy, orthodontic operations and implant placement. In March this year, a pioneering robotic guidance system, Yomi, received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration. The computerised navigational system delivers physical guidance through the use of haptic robotic technology, which provides sensory feedback and constrains the drill in position, orientation and depth, the device’s manufacturer, Neocis, stated.

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