Accuracy of dental implant surgery using dynamic navigation and robotic systems: An in vitro study.

Objectives: To compare the accuracy of dental implant placement using a dynamic navigation and a robotic system.

Methods: Eighty three-dimensional (3D) printed phantoms, including edentulous and partially edentulous jaws, were assigned to two groups: a dynamic navigation system (Beidou-SNS) group and a robotic system (Hybrid Robotic System for Dental Implant Surgery, HRS-DIS) group. The entry, exit and angle deviations of the implants in 3D world were measured after pre-operative plans and postoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) fusion. A linear mixed model with a random intercept was applied, and a p value <.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: A total of 480 implants were placed in 80 phantoms. The comparison deviation of the dynamic navigation system and robotic system groups showed a mean (± SD) entry deviation of 0.96 ± 0.57 mm vs. 0.83 ± 0.55 mm (p=0.04), a mean exit deviation of 1.06 ± 0.59 mm vs. 0.91 ± 0.56 mm (p=0.04), and a mean angle deviation of 2.41± 1.42° vs. 1 ± 0.48° (p<0.00).

Conclusions: The implant positioning accuracy of the robotic system was superior to that of the dynamic navigation system, suggesting that this prototype robotic system (HRS-DIS) could be a promising tool in dental implant surgery.

Clinical Significance: This in vitro study is of clinical interest because it preliminarily shows that a robotic system exhibits lower deviations of dental implants than a dynamic navigation system, in dental implant surgery, in both partially and completely edentulous jaws. Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the current results.