Clinical integration and translational challenges in dental robotics: a narrative review

Robotic technologies are increasingly used in dentistry to improve procedural precision and standardization. However, clinical implementation remains heterogeneous due to differences in autonomy, technological maturity, and available clinical evidence. This review evaluates current applications using a dual-perspective framework.

A narrative review of the literature was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. English-language publications from 2004 onwards were considered and selected according to their relevance to robotic system design, clinical applications, autonomy levels, technical performance, and translational challenges in dentistry.

Robotic applications have expanded across surgical, therapeutic, educational, and preventive domains. Most systems operate at assistive or semi-autonomous levels (Level 1-2), with the strongest clinical evidence observed in implant dentistry, where improved placement accuracy has been reported. Clinical adoption remains limited by high costs, technical complexity, and insufficient long-term outcome data.

Dental robotics has evolved into a clinically applicable component of digital dentistry, but routine clinical implementation remains heterogeneous across dental specialties. The proposed dual-perspective framework facilitates evaluation of robotic technologies and their clinical readiness, while further clinical validation is needed to support routine implementation.