BETHLEHEM, Pa. — New technology for dental implants is available in the Lehigh Valley.
The Yomi Robotic Dental System is the first of its kind for oral surgery. It's used to assist dentists in placing implants.
- The Yomi Robotic Dental System is new dental technology available in the Lehigh Valley
- It makes implant surgery faster and more precise
- The technology is available at St. Luke's OMS Implant Center in Bethlehem
Terri Bartholomew of Allentown is among those who have had work using the robot. Bartholomew said she decided to get an implant after a piece of her back tooth broke off.
"They told me that it was a more accurate way to check and make sure that post gets in the right place,” she said.
It was not Bartholomew’s first implant.
“It didn't differ so much in the sense that everybody was explaining everything to me,” she said. “I got to see the robot and they made sure that I understood what was going to be happening.”
"It allows us to do minimally invasive surgery which is beneficial to the patient as far as recovery time and postoperative discomfort."Dr. Wayne Saunders, director, St. Luke's OMS Implant Center
Bartholomew put her trust in Dr. Wayne Saunders, the director of St. Luke's OMS Implant Center in Bethlehem. Saunders said he opened a new office this year and he wanted to offer his patients the most technologically advanced implant process.
“What value it adds to us is it allows us to do minimally invasive surgery which is beneficial to the patient as far as recovery time and postoperative discomfort," he said.
“It certainly improves all that, but it allows us to be more exact in our positioning and know exactly what we're going to do before we do it."
Robot advantages
Saunders, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, said the robot speeds up surgery time.
"The robot certainly gives us a leg up on difficult cases, on cases where we feel we just need that little expert guidance or angulation or if there's questions on the quality or quantity of bone," he said.
"It allows us to be more sure of what we're doing.”
“With a robot, it makes it so you could do same-day guided surgery on anybody who walks in because everything is digital.”Michelle Visser, regional sales manager for Neocis
Michelle Visser, regional sales manager for Neocis, the company that created the robot, said there are other advantages.
“With a robot, it makes it so you could do same-day guided surgery on anybody who walks in because everything is digital,” Visser said.
"The other advantage is it can be minimally invasive. It's a little less traumatic for the patient because it's done robotically, and it has a safety factor built in because it stops you from hitting the nerve or entering the sinus."
Visser said the device is available in almost every state across the country, multiple dental schools and one hospital at this time.
Patients at the St. Luke’s location have the option to opt in or out of using the technology. Those who opt in will pay a minimal fee.
