Dental Patients, Open Wide for This Robot

ArchPoint Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons employ new technology for implants

The future of dentistry has come to Dallas, and it’s robotic.

Meet YOMI: the first oral surgery robot in North Texas, now in use by Drs. Reed Gibbins of Preston Hollow and Tom Draper of University Park, surgeons at ArchPoint Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Dallas.

“The YOMI® robot is one of the most exciting new technologies to become available to our specialty in the last decade, and we have been researching and training for years to bring it to Dallas and to share with patients and help advance our specialty,” Gibbins said.

YOMI, manufactured by NEOCIS, is the only FDA-approved robotic device for dental implant surgery in the United States, they said.

The surgeons use it to place dental implants, “basically anchors that go in the bone that are used as kind of like a foundation for a new tooth,” Gibbins explained.

YOMI’s software acts like a CT scan to get an accurate image of the patient’s teeth and find the perfect position for new implants. The robot uses minimally invasive small incisions of the patient’s gums to get precise placement and allow a faster recovery time.

Before YOMI, the surgeons used the Static Guidance system. The process took several days and required the doctor to create a guide for implant placement based on alginate impressions of the patient’s teeth, Gibbins explained. “Each step along the way, there was always an opportunity for a small amount of error.” 

But now, all the human needs to do is guide the robot as it takes a three-dimensional scan and creates a virtual impression. 

Gibbins got his dental degree from Baylor College of Dentistry and Draper from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia. Both earned doctor of medicine degrees from the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock.

So, what does this mean for the future of dentistry and medicine?

Many companies like NEOCIS will continue to design and manufacture medical robots that can complete tasks ranging from dental implants (like YOMI) to life-saving procedures such as open-heart surgery.

Students have already begun training with YOMI software as the robot is becoming available for use at dental schools. Also, ArchPoint will serve as an educational hub for other dental professionals in the region.

“This game-changing surgical approach will lead to a new standard of care for the profession,” Draper said. “We are pleased to be at the forefront of this surgical movement.”