In China, a robot dentist inserted human teeth for the first time
China was once again able to surprise with developments. Engineers managed to create a dental robot, which recently performed the first successful operation.
This unique case may soon become quite commonplace, because there is an acute shortage of dentists in China, and there are already about 400 million people who need to have their teeth inserted.
The software for the robot and the "dentist" itself was made for four years: the development took place exclusively in China by the dental clinic of the Fourth Military Medical University and the Institute of Robotics.
For the first time, the robot successfully implanted two teeth printed on a 3D printer. The hour-long operation was performed under local anesthesia. The first patient of the robot was a resident of the city of Xiyan.
Of course, it is impossible to do without a person at all in this operation: before it began, specialists programmed the angle and depth of movements so that the implants fit into the jaw as accurately as possible. At the same time, the machine independently adjusted its work when the patient was moving.
The operation was carried out with an error of 0.2-0.3 millimeters, which is quite consistent with the standards. Engineers and doctors say that the robot can do the job even better than professional dentists. The new robot will help to avoid human errors during operations: sometimes it is difficult for dentists to see what is in some areas of the oral cavity.
The idea of creating such a robot is connected with the shortage of qualified dentists in China. Today, about 400 million citizens of the country need dental implants, while every year about a million operations are performed in China, some of which lead to complications due to the human factor.