Going to see the dentist can be nerve racking at the best of times, what with a person inserting metal devices into your mouth and yanking things about.
However, you can always comfort yourself with the knowledge your friendly family dentist will have your safety in mind, and won’t generally be up for smashing your pearly whites to smithereens.
Unless of course they have gone into the dentistry profession for sadistic purposes, which is always a possibility.
However, how would you feel about a robot drilling your teeth? A non-sentient being that has no concept of pain or human interaction? Although this sounds like Sci-fi, this could well be something you will encounter within your lifetime.
A ‘robot dentist’ in China has successfully completed autonomous implant surgery, fitting two brand new teeth into the mouth of a female patient.
Human dentists were present throughout the unusual operation, however they did not actively participate.
Check out the teeth-on-edge procedure below:
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It’s believed this pioneering technology, created by scientists at Fourth Military Medical University and Beihang University, will help to tackle the shortage of dentists in China.
You may also be relieved to know this robot, capable of adjusting to the movements of the patient, will reportedly help to reduce the risk of surgical errors.
For someone without teeth of their own, this robot did an excellent job on his first day.
He completed the procedure with an error margin of 0.2-0.3mm, achieving the industry required standard.
Good going little guy!
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.