Accuracy of robot-assisted dental implant surgery and its clinical influencing factors: a retrospective case series of 100 patients

Abstract

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the accuracy of robot-assisted implant surgery and identify the factors influencing it. Patients with single or multiple missing teeth were enrolled in the robot-assisted implant surgery. The patients underwent cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) using a marker. Virtual implant placement and a drilling sequence were planned prior to surgery. The robotic arm automatically performed the implant osteotomy and placement under the surgeon’s supervision. A postoperative CBCT scan was performed to evaluate deviations between the planned and placed implants. A total of 152 implants were successfully inserted into the jawbones of 100 patients without any adverse surgical events. However, two implants were observed to fail early (< 1 month). An overall coronal deviation of 0.51 ± 0.02 mm, apical deviation of 0.53 ± 0.02 mm, and angular deviation of 1.05 ± 0.05° were observed. The angular deviation of the first nearest site in the free-end position was significantly lower than that of the second or third nearest site (p = 0.043). Additionally, the coronal and apical deviations were significantly decreased with the accumulation of clinical experience (p = 0.014 and p = 0.001, respectively). However, no significant differences were found among jaw location, position, implant diameter, or length (p > 0.05). Robot-assisted dental implant surgery resulted in an accurate placement performance. Further studies are required to clarify long-term effects.