01 August 2023

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A robot that places dental implants

Lara Figini

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Optimal 3D implant placement is essential for achieving long-term implant stability and rehabilitation success. However, the limited visibility of the operating field presents a problem even for expert surgeons. Issues include difficulties in freehand precision and greater complications due to positional failure, reported to be over 10%. 

Robotic surgery has the advantages of high precision, efficiency, stability and operator variable cancellation, all of which can lead to improvements in implant placement accuracy while reducing the work intensity of surgeons. The first autonomous robotic system for dental implants (ADIR) was invented in 2016 and can conduct the surgical process according to pre-programmed procedures, without intervention by the surgeon.

Materials and methods

In a retrospective clinical study, published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry in June 2023, the authors compared the accuracy of implants placed with a robotic autonomous dental implantology system (ADIR) compared with that of implants placed with the method of surgery computer-assisted static implant (sCAIS). 

Researchers enrolled 39 participants in this retrospective study: 20 participants received implant surgery with the ADIR system, and 19 participants received implant surgery with sCAIS. 

Preoperative and postoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans after implant placement were recorded and evaluated throughout the study. Coronal, apical and angular deviations were measured and analyzed. A linear regression model was established to analyze the source of the deviation. MANOVA was used to compare differences in key outcome variables (a=.05).

Results

The team placed 60 implants in 39 participants (30 in each of 2 groups). The mean coronal, apical and angular standard deviation of the ADIR system group and the sCAIS group were found to be 0.43 ±0.18 mm versus 1.31 ±0.62 mm (P<0.001), 0.56 ±0 .18 mm versus 1.47 ±0.65 mm (P<0.001) and 1.48 ±0.59 degree versus 2.42 ±1.55 degree (P=0.003), respectively. 

There was no significant difference in fit in the different regions of the implant (anterior, premolar, molar, maxilla, mandible) (P>.05). No complications were observed.

Conclusions

From the data of this study, it can be concluded that the ADIR autonomous implant robotic system can offer minimally invasive results with excellent precision, regardless of the implant placement site.

Practical implications

Precise implant placement helps ensure rehabilitation success and is a prerequisite for a well-functioning occlusal relationship and optimal aesthetics. The ADIR system can autonomously perform surgical operations with pre-programmed procedures, without the supervision of the surgeon, thus avoiding human errors. The system can provide minimally invasive and excellent precision while reducing the work fatigue of surgeons.

Shasha Jia, Guowei Wang, Yimin Zhao and Xiaojing Wang. “Accuracy of an autonomous dental implant robotic system versus static guide-assisted implant surgery: A retrospective clinical study.” The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 6 June 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.04.027