Robots have slowly become integrated into our lives. With the invention of the smartphone and features like “Siri” and “Google Assist,” it is as if we walk around with small robots in our pockets. They are convenient, portable, high-tech, and sleekly designed.
Similar integration is manifesting in the realm of dentistry.
Take the Yomi Dental Implant Robotic System, for example. It is an “intelligent assistant system” for dentists specializing in dental implants. Created by Alon Mozes and Juan Salcedo for Neocis, Yomi completed a successful clinical study and received market clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in 2016.
The Yomi Dental Implant Robotic System works alongside dental assistants and students at Smile Rehab Centers in Southlake under Dr. Hanife Bayraktaroglu, DDS.
“Dr. Bay” has 20 years of experience in dentistry as a board-certified prosthodontist. She started her training in Turkey before moving to the United States, where she began her private practice.
Dr. Bay started using the Yomi Dental Implant Robotic System, or “Eve,” as she affectionately calls the machine, in 2020. Some 140-150 Yomi systems have been sold. Dr. Bay is currently one of only a handful of implant and cosmetic dentists using the technology in North Texas.
The Yomi system plays an integral part in the digital workflow developed by Dr. Bay and her team to revolutionize further the way dental implants are designed and delivered for patients.
“The first step is a consultation,” Bay explained to The Dallas Express. “We do a CT scan, and once it is done, then I [create] a treatment plan and then do the small preview.” The patient preview consists of 3D images taken at the center. Assuming the patient wants to move forward, a complete exam is done to ensure the patient is in good condition for the procedure.
Dr. Bay takes internal scans of the patient’s mouth and face, giving her a 3D visual of the work ahead. She plots the arrangement of the implants and then uploads her plan to the Yomi system’s network.
The patient is then connected to the Yomi Dental Robotic System, and another CT scan is taken to ensure the Yomi is appropriately attached and able to aid in the procedure. Once connected, “Eve” follows Dr. Bay’s plan for placing the implant. The entire process takes 20 minutes.
The Yomi system is unique because it is the only robot that attaches directly to the patient and has excellent accuracy.
“The tracking arm is proprietary to us,” explained a Yomi representative. “Unlike robots used in most hospitals, the Yomi robot is allowed to have sub-Milla metric accuracy, whereas other robots like the DaVinci intuitive, for example, could have three to four millimeters, but in dentistry, a millimeter is a mile. So it’s very accurate.”
In addition to the system having high accuracy, Dr. Bay explained that it is less invasive than implanting manually, and healing time is much faster, allowing the patient to continue most daily activities on the same day.
While having a robot do your dental work seems impressive, so is Dr. Bay’s focus on the patient. Along with the state-of-the-art digital studio, and a classroom where Dr. Bay and other dentists can teach dental students new techniques and watch live surgeries, her center provides a spa-like environment for patients and their families.
“There is a room dedicated to patient recovery. There are two recliners, one for the patient and one for their guest, a TV, a snack bar, and coffee, so the patient and their loved one can be comfortable,” said Wendy, the office manager for Smile Rehab Centers. “We try to take the stress out of everything.”
“At the end of the day, we do try to give them the best possible outcome with the treatments that we do. All they have to do is brush and floss,” said Dr. Bay. And that is not too hard, right?