Intraoperative Efficiency of Dental Robotics
Bruce A. Smoler, DDS
Dentistry Today | October 2025
Explore how haptic robotic guidance is transforming dental implant workflows. In this multi-site clinical study of 83 patients (171 implants), researchers compared traditional freehand implant placement with robotic-assisted procedures for both partial- and full-arch cases.
Learn how robotics can significantly reduce osteotomy and implantation times, improve workflow efficiency, and maintain high accuracy and precision—all without disrupting the standard surgical process. The study reviews the clinical workflow, timing data, and practical implications for integrating robotic guidance into everyday implant dentistry.
The surgical times reported in this study of haptic robotic guidance for both the partial implant and full-arch patient show specific workflow efficiency benefits during osteotomy and implantation. While robotics is disruptive in terms of its advanced technology, it does not significantly disrupt the workflow and efficiency of a standard dental implant practice. Instead, it shows notable efficiency improvements during osteotomy and implantation in all patients, with a particularly significant overall workflow efficiency for full-arch patients. These results may attest to the quick integration of the haptic robotic protocol into the digital practitioner’s clinical workflow and the ease of employing robotic guidance to enhance patient treatment. Additionally, there was no wait for surgical guide fabrication, and no physical guide impeding access or visualization. Robotic haptic guidance securely constrained the handpiece to the virtual restorative plan. Given the accuracy, precision, and intraoperative flexibility of robotic surgical platforms, this data on surgical efficiency supports the growing interest in haptic robotic guidance to augment dental implant surgery.
