Swiss mini-robot set to prepare teeth for crowns

Mini-robot set to prepare teeth for crowns in future Keystone-SDA

Open wide for the robot: researchers at the University of Basel have developed a mini-robot designed to precisely grind teeth in preparation for fitting a crown.

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The prototype, named MIR, is about the size of a wine cork, the University of Basel announced on Tuesday.

It is designed to automate parts of the preparation process for dental crowns. Until now, fitting a crown has usually required several visits. In future, a treatment plan will be drawn up following a digital scan, which the robot will then use to shape the tooth to the desired form. This could mean that the crown can be ordered sooner.

The robot is mounted on a custom-fitted dental splint. The motors and control unit are located outside the mouth and are connected to the device via flexible shafts and cables.

Precise work

The system has so far been tested on artificial tooth models. According to the research team, the robot operated with an accuracy of less than 0.2 millimetres. In further stages of development, sensors and a camera are to be incorporated so that the system can continuously monitor and correct its position.

It is likely to be some time before the system is used in dental practices. Next, the researchers plan to fit sensors and a camera into the robot. This should enable the system to monitor its position and the progress of the treatment. According to research group leader Georg Rauter, this would mean the system would know where to resume work even after a power cut. The aim is to ensure that this does not result in the robot becoming any larger.

The dental robot was developed in collaboration with dental specialists and industry partners as part of a project funded by the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse.

Translated from German, sub-edited by ts