DT News - India - Robot independently places 3-D printed implants in a patient in China

DT SEA

Sun. 1 October 2017

save

XI'AN, China: In a independent surgery, a robot has placed two 3-D-printed implants into a patient’s mouth. The successful procedure can be one of the ways to reduce the shortage of skilled dental professionals in Asia, especially in metropolises such as Hong Kong and Singapore, and furthermore can eliminate risks posed by poor-quality surgeries performed by unqualified dentists.

Prof. Zhao Yimin, a surgeon from the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU) in Xi’an, said that the procedure performed on a female patient went very smoothly with implants being placed with high precision.

After acquiring the necessary CT scan, the medical team fitted a position orientation equipment and the movements, angle and depth needed to fit the implants in the patient’s mouth were determined. This way the robot could be programmed to move into the correct position to carry out the operation. The surgical procedure lasted for one hour.

Although human staff was present at all times during the 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. However it is able to make adjustments during surgery, the South China Morning Post reported.

Experts have predicted that in the future, robot-assisted and -led technology could increasingly facilitate dental surgeons’ work. In recent years, Robotic technology has been introduced 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 computerized 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.

To post a reply please login or register

A less destructive method to whiten teeth developed in China

NANCHANG, China: Social media adverts for whitening products show celebrities flaunting their pearly whites, putting pressure on consumers to conform to the...

A rare variation in the root canal anatomy of a premolar

I start my editorial journey today as the editor of Endodontics & Biomimetic Dentistry with two topics in mind: The exploration of biomimetic ...

Acupuncture reduces anxiety in dental patients, observes a study

YORK, UK: Fear of the dentist is something some people suffer from more than others. With multiple reasons for dental anxiety and its effects, there is ...

AI applications in healthcare: Is it just a FOMO thing?

Simply sprinkling the term “AI” into start-up pitch decks seems to increase the likelihood of getting access to funding. The media continuously reports ...

3-D printed and drug filled dentures can now keep infections away

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Statistically speaking, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. denture-wearing population suffer frequent fungal infections leading to denture ...

Importance of vitamin D in dentistry: Could it play a role in resistance to infectious diseases?

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is obtained through diet or synthesised in the skin from cholesterol when the skin receives adequate sun exposure (the ...

Artificial intelligence matches human experts in dental implant planning

Leuven, Belgium: As digital dentistry continues to evolve, artificial intelligence (AI) is stepping into roles once thought to require exclusively human ...

Mitigation methods currently in place are effective, study shows

LONDON, UK: The latest results of a promising feasibility study which demonstrated the effectiveness of mitigation methods used in dental practices during ...

Magnesium coatings in implant dentistry

The essential trace element, magnesium (Mg), has a vital role in our human body. It has many uses in dentistry and orthopedics. We see dental implant ...

Study shows dynamic navigation superiority in complex maxillary implant cases

Dynamic navigation delivers superior accuracy and safety in maxillary implant placement. A recently published split-mouth study shows marked reduction in ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 15 September 2025
10:30 pm IST (New Delhi)