The use of robots in a dental practice

Empathy and the perception of what the patient is feeling are always essential — something the machine cannot capture.

The evolution of the use of robots

The development of robotics, based on artificial intelligence, has exploded in recent years. Many tasks that were once the responsibility of humans are nowadays increasingly often replaced by machines.

Efficiency, cost optimisation or the elimination of errors are some of the positive points that enthusiasts of the use of robots emphasise.

And medicine is no exception to these changes of recent years. In reality, the various areas of health have long made use of some form of robotics in their practice, applying the speed and precision of machines to the treatment of patients. And having had such favourable results, the market for robots in medical surgery is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

Robots in dentistry

Even though robots are used, and could be exploited even further, in the field of dentistry, the machine is not yet ready to fully replace the role of the dentist.

Although tests have already been carried out in some countries, with treatments 100% performed by robots under the prior command and monitoring of dental specialists, the acceptance of this practice is still in its early stages of development in most of the world.

For example, in cases that require aesthetic analysis, the intervention and work of a human are fundamental to a correct outcome. Likewise, in the cases of discomfort and pain felt by patients during treatments, and even though a robot could be taught to identify those very patterns, it is not yet a substitute for human interaction.

Empathy and the perception of what the patient is feeling are always essential — something the machine cannot capture.