Robotics in Dentistry: Yomi

The world is a big place. However, since the introduction of the internet, the world just seems to get progressively smaller because of our ability to communicate with people who are leagues away. We are able to share information to a vast audience without any delay. And with the budding concept of “the internet of things”, it’s not a far-fetched idea that we should soon find that we’re able to control devices over an internet connection.

While the ability to share information has always been our strongest trait as a species, a lot of specialists, especially in the medical field, are severely limited by one thing — distance. Despite our ability to share information, we cannot completely transfer skill and experience from one person to another. Skilled doctors are sought all over the world because they carry something that they cannot simply transfer over the internet — their skill. There are many things that simply cannot be taught, such as how to maintain a steady hand during complex procedures or how to remain composed during a high-risk medical operation.

This was exactly the problem that the Da Vinci Medical robot was meant to address, and since its introduction in 2000, it has done exactly that. Because of this technological development, distance was no longer an issue when it came to providing skilled medical assistance. Because of the Da Vinci Medical Robot, skilled physicians were able to conduct complex and risky procedures despite being miles away from the actual patient.

Other times, instead of being able to emulate the movements of a doctor who’s miles away, robots can also serve to assist the doctor. This is the case with the first dental surgical robot, Yomi. This robot, unlike the Da Vinci Medical robot, is designed to help dentists perform procedures more accurately.

Yomi is a robot that was built by Neocis, a company that hails from Miami, Florida. It was recently approved for production by the FDA. The robot is programmed to plan out dental procedures based on the results of a patient’s CT scan results. Apart from this, the robot is also able to guide the drill as the dentist performs the procedure.

Yomi is equipped with software that is not only capable of planning the dental procedure, but is also capable of making changes to that plan depending on the scenario. The best bit is that the software can only get better, especially with artificial intelligence becoming more of a mainstay in technology rather than just a gimmick.

And while browsing through your local denture repair directory remains to be the most widely used method of seeking dental professionals, you can definitely bet that in the near future, artificial intelligence might even be able to match you with the best dentist for your case.

There’s only one direction that technology moves in, and that’s forward. It can definitely be said that Yomi is only the beginning — with robot-assisted dental procedures, dentists can definitely expect more accurate and more effective procedures while also minimizing any risks.


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