Robotic Assisted Drilling Systems and Prosthetically-Driven Implant Rehabilitation: The Present and Future?

Technological advancement and innovation in health care is ubiquitous and accelerating. Presently, oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) employ cutting-edge technologies on a routine basis in clinical practice. Advances in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computer-aided design/computer-aided milling (CAD/CAM) enable the OMS to fabricate custom surgical guides and to use video-guided navigation systems for both precise dental implant placement, as well as for planning and executing surgical procedures. In fact, it may have been the confluence of these 2 technologies that led to the development of a new and emerging technology: robotic assisted drilling systems (RADS). Though still in its nascent stages, robotic guidance systems continue to gain traction in various surgical specialties and in oral and maxillofacial surgery. As such, it may benefit the OMS to gain an understanding of and familiarity with this technology. The purpose of this communication is not to discuss the minutia of RADS, but rather to discuss RADS in the context of its preceding technology, its improvements and current limitations, and ultimately, where RADS may take oral and maxillofacial surgery in the near future.