Applications Of Robotics In Prosthodontics – A Review

Robots are human innovations to reduce manual efforts in hazardous working environments, to increase the accuracy and precision of the work being carried out, and to reduce manual labour. Robotics is the interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and others. Robotics deals with the design, development, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. Following the developments in industrial robot technology, robotics have found its way into the medical field and is used in a range of surgical disciplines including applications in dentistry. Robotic systems are not intended as replacements for human doctors, but rather as smart surgical tools. They help to increase the precision, quality and safety of surgical procedures (Lea et al. 1995). Their most valuable function may be their capacity to create an information link from preoperative surgical plans to the surgical arena. The first documented case of a robot assisted surgical procedure was in 1985 when the Programmable Universal Manipulation Arm (PUMA 560) robotic system was used in a neurosurgical biopsy (Lanfranco et al. 2004). The success of PUMA 560 offered greater acumen for the use of such robotic systems for minimally invasive surgical procedures. In 1988, the same PUMA system was used to perform a robotic surgery transurethral resection. In 1994, the Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning (AESOP) robotic system became the first system approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its endoscopic surgical procedure (Lanfranco et al. 2004, Unger et al. 1994). AESOP was designed to manoeuvre an endoscope inside the patient's body during the surgery. The camera moves based on voice commands of the surgeon or through computer commands. Such versatility of the system allows for more precise movements and also allows the endoscope to be inserted into the patient through a smaller incision. ZEUS surgical system Abstract: Application of robots for reducing the manual effort and increasing the accuracy of procedures are gaining momentum in various medical fields including dentistry. This article reviews the applications and progress so far of the use of robots in prosthodontics. Robotic interventions in prosthodontics are mainly for designing and manufacturing of complete dentures and for assisting in dental implantology surgical procedures. In both cases, great progress has been achieved, helping to obtain higher level of accuracy in the procedures with high success rates. The time required to complete each procedures are considerably reduced with the use of robots. But such sophisticated and specially made robots for various prosthodontic treatments have to be used under the strict supervision of an expert dentist. There's no substitute for expert skill and clinical judgment.