Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 17
University of Basel Tests 43mm Dental Robot for Crowns With Under 0.2mm Error
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 17

University of Basel Tests 43mm Dental Robot for Crowns With Under 0.2mm Error

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 17

Summary

  • University of Basel researchers have tested MIR—a 43-by-26-by-28 millimeter intraoral robot—on synthetic tooth models and enamel-like ceramic as a prototype for crown preparation.
  • Under a digital treatment plan, MIR drills in two stages and stays attached to a custom dental splint, letting it move with the patient's head while keeping the larger motor and controls outside the mouth.
  • Tests showed positional error of less than 0.2 millimeters and drilling forces below 5 newtons, supporting the goal of a faster, more fully digital crown workflow with fewer appointments.
  • MIR is still far from clinical use: the team plans to add sensors and a camera so it can track position in real time and recover safely even after disruptions such as a power outage.
  • The long-term aim is to pair robot-guided tooth preparation with CAD-CAM manufacturing so a permanent crown could be produced before or during the same treatment session.

Insights

As tiny robots enter our mouths for dental work, what new laws will protect our most personal health data from being exploited?
Will billion-dollar robotic surgeons truly fix doctor shortages or just make advanced healthcare a high-tech luxury for the wealthy?
If an AI surgeon can be 'tricked into going rogue,' who is legally responsible for a fatal error in the operating room?