A dental robotics company claims to have used an AI-controlled robot to perform a fully autonomous dental procedure on a human patient — for the first time, heralding a possible new era for dental treatment.
Perceptive, the company behind the robot, claims its system can shave off a considerable amount of time for routine procedures. The bot can replace crowns in just 15 minutes, it says, which takes a human dentist two hours across two office visits to complete.
The company says it's tested the device on a patient in Colombia, but has yet to release any peer-reviewed clinical data. As Stat points out, the company will need this data to apply for Food and Drug Administration approval, something that's still around five years away, according to Perceptive CEO Chris Ciriello.
Nonetheless, the company is celebrating the test as a big win.
"We're excited to successfully complete the world's first fully automated robotic dental procedure," said Ciriello in a press release. "This medical breakthrough enhances precision and efficiency of dental procedures, and democratizes access to better dental care, for improved patient experience and clinical outcomes."
The robotic system uses a handheld 3D scanner that captures highly detailed 3D images of beneath the gum line, allowing patients to "clearly visualize their dental conditions."
The AI then comes up with an efficient and precise procedure.
"The robotics system has been designed and rigorously tested to ensure that dentists can perform treatments safely, even in conditions where patient movement is prevalent," said dentist and Perceptive investor Edward Zuckerberg in the press release.
Perceptive has raised a considerable $30 million in funding, including from Zuckerberg — who also happens to be the father of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It's unclear whether the younger Zuckerberg is involved in the financing of the venture.
Robotic surgery has made big strides over the years, and companies are hoping to leverage AI technologies to bring the tech to the masses. But when that will happen remains an open question, as they still have plenty of regulatory hurdles to overcome.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Wednesday August 07, @06:06AM (1 child)
Dentists newest AI victims, soon to grow the ranks of the growing neo-Luddite movement [theatlantic.com]
(Score: 3, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 07, @10:02AM
I was silent when automation put phone operators out of work.
I was silent when automation put millions of laborers out of work.
I was silent when automation put taxis and delivery drivers out of work.
Now that AI has come for my job, all I hear is silence.
Remember when the luddites were scoffed at, with "You should have learned to code!"
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 4, Touché) by pkrasimirov on Wednesday August 07, @08:09AM
> It's unclear whether the younger Zuckerberg is involved in the financing of the venture.
It will be clear when your new crown tells you the TOS changed and now you surrender all your data unless you pry that crown out of your mouth in no time.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Snospar on Wednesday August 07, @09:18AM
"Patient has left the chair, must initiate chase procedure, treatment not complete..." who would have guessed this is where it all starts?
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 07, @09:46AM (2 children)
Does the robot wash it's "hands" between patients? How many hands does it even have?
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday August 07, @03:35PM (1 child)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Thursday August 08, @05:42AM
Way long ago, I noticed that every time I went to the dentist, I got either the flu or an infection. (This was before HIV complicated matters.)
I became hardassed about if it didn't just come out of the autoclave, it doesn't go into my mouth, and I want to see you open the autoclave pack. No more sharing whatever the previous patient had.
Current dentist uses all disposable everything, one per patient, precisely because of the bio-contamination issues.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by DadaDoofy on Wednesday August 07, @01:01PM (1 child)
"and democratizes access to better dental care"
How so?
All this would do is shift profit from the dentists to the makers of the robot. The cost of a crown will stay the same initially, but once human dentist are eliminated as competition, the price is quite likely to increase substantially, particularly if a single company holds the patent.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday August 07, @03:46PM
But I'm just trying to answer your question, not sell you on it. I'm just as skeptical as you are. I'm worried about the larger picture, automated dentists popping up owned by people who aren't dentists. Maybe I watch too many movies. Can you imagine Arnie sitting down in the Total Recall machine and the operators, and instead of wearing scientist jackets, were like typical disinterested arcade owners? "Um.. so like, don't get an embo... embolll... um... don't break your brain in there, just shoot the bad guys."
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by Frosty Piss on Wednesday August 07, @02:36PM (1 child)
Columbia, eh? So, poor people from South America (or Africa) is what you go for when you want to do sketchy human experimentation? Why isn't Musk's Neuolink down there doing unregulated implants? Or, perhaps he is...
(Score: 3, Informative) by bart9h on Friday August 16, @04:19PM
First, it's ColOmbia.
Second, there are plenty non-poor, and even well-faring, people in South America.
Third, the experimentation happens there exactly because the strict US law won't allow it.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Freeman on Wednesday August 07, @03:05PM (3 children)
A human being is extremely good at assessing one's fitness for duty. Especially when compared to any "robot/machine/etc". What's the potential for damage, if the machine malfunctions? A Dentist isn't likely to "accidentally" crush your windpipe, cut your aorta, or stab your eyeball. What's the margin for error with said robotic device? Now, if it just can't do any of those things, great! In the event that it could malfunction and jab you in the back of the throat? Not so great.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Wednesday August 07, @03:14PM
People do make mistakes - and in the USA in particular (but more and more elsewhere too) it tends to result in litigation. The number of ads that I see nowadays encouraging people to consider litigation as the first action after an accident is, to me, horrifying. If it is due to negligence then fair enough, but if it is a genuine accident then perhaps not.
I'm not sure that a machine is any more likely to do something terrible than a human being might be.
I am not interested in knowing who people are or where they live. My interest starts and stops at our servers.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 07, @07:36PM (1 child)
You are quite the optimist, aren't you? I suggest that you visit Youtube, and search for videos about drunk and impaired drivers. If you want to top that off, search for drunk and impaired POLICE OFFICERS. People who need assistance just to stand up deem themselves fit for duty.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday August 12, @05:40PM
You're quite correct that humans under the influence of Alcohol/Drugs make poor choices. Would be great, if that fact lead even more people to not consume or use those. Still, there's a reason "robot dentist" / "robot chef" / etc. just isn't a thing. Sure, it's theoretically doable. Scale, reliability, cost, and perception are all major hurdles for a device like this.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday August 07, @03:31PM (1 child)
Umm... okay so the last time I had a crown it did take about two hours, and I did have to do two office visits... because they had a machine that was effectively 3d-printing my new tooth and it needed an hour or two to do that part. Does this machine come equipped with a replicator or are we playing games with where the finish line is placed?
Irritation aside, I'm not sure how B of D this is. My dentist scanned my teeth and played with a neat little app that sorta looked like an app store game to mirror the good tooth and plunk it into place. If that were automated it might have saved 15 mins or so, but the crown still had to be made and the area it was going to be installed into still needed to be prepped. Even if a machine did the shaving down of my old tooth etc I don't see how they're getting a 15 minute vs. 2 hour stat.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 07, @07:40PM
Sounds like a jeopardy category - Top 1000 Questions That You Were Never Meant To Ask.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 3, Touché) by crunchy_one on Wednesday August 07, @09:41PM
Even with a kill button in my hand and 50mg of Valium in my bloodstream I'd still pass.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday August 08, @04:44PM
With remote tele-dentistry, the dentist is located far enough away to facilitate their escape.
With robots, who do you blame?
Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!