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Published on: August 5, 2021
Fully digital and robot-assisted workflow for mandibular molar autotransplantation: A proof-of-concept
Chen Liu1, Rui Hou2, Guangwei Chen3
1State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Digital Dentistry Center, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, 145 West Chang-le Road, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi, PR China.
A novel robot-assisted protocol enables precise autogenous mandibular molar transplantation. An autonomous robotic system creates a shape-matched recipient socket, improving transplantation accuracy and predictability.
Area of Science:
- Dental surgery
- Robotic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Autogenous tooth transplantation is a viable treatment option.
- Precise recipient socket preparation is critical for successful outcomes.
- Current methods may lack the precision for optimal donor-recipient fit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a robot-assisted protocol for mandibular molar autotransplantation.
- To utilize an autonomous robotic system for shape-matched recipient socket preparation.
- To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of this novel digital workflow.
Main Methods:
- Preoperative planning involved intraoral scans and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for precise donor tooth positioning and surgical path generation.
- A 3D-printed donor tooth replica and intraoral registration device were fabricated.
- Supervised autonomous robotic milling prepared a personalized osteotomy socket matching the donor root morphology, with remaining steps performed by the surgeon.
Main Results:
- The robot-assisted mandibular molar transplantation was successfully completed.
- No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported.
- Positional and angular deviations of the transplanted tooth were within clinically acceptable ranges.
Conclusions:
- A workflow for tooth autotransplantation using an autonomous robotic system was successfully implemented.
- The system demonstrated the ability to achieve accurate, morphologically matched socket preparation.
- This digital, robot-assisted approach offers a promising pathway for personalized, high-precision tooth transplantation, though further validation is needed.
