Will you be willing to have a robot dentist clean your teeth or install your braces? Robotics firm Perceptive shared a demonstration video of its robot preparing a dental crown.
The company’s official page says its robot needs only 15 minutes to perform dental procedures. In contrast, traditional methods require two one-hour visits to complete.
Popular Science says the company is still waiting for FDA approval before it can start regulator-reviewed testing. Consequently, it may take some time before it becomes widely available.
How does the robot dentist work?
The video above shows the Perceptive robot dentist prepping a tooth crown. The company claims it can complete the procedure in 15 minutes due to an “easy-to-use, handheld intraoral scanner.”
The machine uses advanced optical coherence tomography (OCT) to capture 3D data of a patient’s mouth. The latter includes details under the tooth surface, below the gum line, and through any residual fluids.
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Perceptive said its light-based OCT imaging is 90 percent accurate in detecting cavity formations. Conversely, modern 2D X-ray readings are allegedly only 45 percent accurate.
The robot dentist also uses artificial intelligence to construct high-resolution tooth scans for preparing dental crowns. Moreover, its website says it can work “even under the most movement-heavy conditions.”
A human dentist may take over once the bot is finished. However, Perceptive CEO and founder Dr. Chris Ciriello said he will expand his robot’s capabilities.
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“We’re excited to successfully complete the world’s first fully automated robotic dental procedure,” he said in a BusinessWire press release.
“This medical breakthrough enhances precision and efficiency of dental procedures and democratizes access to better dental care….”
“We look forward to advancing our system and pioneering scalable, fully automated dental healthcare solutions for patients,” he added.