5 Oct 2026
The OPTISMILE Podcast 128 - The Future Is Now: Robots, AI and Smart Dentistry
Welcome back to Save Your Money, Save Your Teeth. In the previous episode, Eon Engelbrecht and Dr Clifford Yudelman looked at special care dentistry and adapting the dental visit to fit the person. This episode looks ahead, at the tools that are changing what a dental visit even looks like: some genuinely useful right now, some hype, and some still a decade away.They cover dental robots that shape teeth for veneers and guide implant placement, AI that flags early decay on x-rays, whether to trust a chatbot like ChatGPT with your teeth, and remote monitoring that lets aligner patients send progress photos from their phone. They also discuss who owns your dental records under POPIA, whether we will really regrow teeth, virtual reality for anxious patients, smart toothbrushes including Dyson's new camera brush, and why the real promise of all this technology is better decisions and less treatment.10 Questions and Summary Answers[1:19] Will a robot ever replace a dentist? Not any time soon. Robots now exist that hold the drill and shape a tooth for a veneer or crown, and one that guides implant placement is already in use in Cape Town, but a dentist still plans the work and keeps a hand on the instrument. Robots are brilliant at precision and repetition; the judgement on who to treat, what to treat and when to wait and watch stays with the dentist. Dentists tend to over-prepare teeth for veneers, which is one reason Dr Yudelman rarely recommends them, whereas a robot can remove as little as 0.2 of a millimetre and the veneer can be bonded the same day.[6:08] How is AI helping dentists find cavities that humans miss? AI does not get tired at four in the afternoon and carries no bias from what it saw yesterday. Trained on hundreds of thousands of x-rays, it flags early shadows, early decay and early bone loss that a dentist might skip past in error. It flags rather than diagnoses, so the dentist still decides what gets treated. Showing patients their early lesions helps them improve diet and cleaning between the teeth, and prevention is the cheapest dentistry there is. New radiation-free 3D imaging that colour codes cracks, cavities, old fillings and plaque looks very promising.[7:55] Is it a good idea to ask a chatbot like ChatGPT about your teeth, or use it as a second opinion? It is a useful starting point but not the final word. A chatbot can explain what a root canal involves, help you write down questions and translate a treatment plan into plain English, but it cannot see your mouth or feel whether a tooth is loose. General AI can already spot a big cavity on an x-ray, and one patient's ChatGPT simulations of veneers, bonding and orthodontics were surprisingly good, yet it could not tell her how much tooth each option would remove or which was right for her. Use it to get informed, then take your questions to a real dentist, because you do not want to be confident about a wrong answer.[10:45] What is remote monitoring for aligners like Invisalign, and can you really track your teeth with your phone? Yes. You take photos of your teeth at home, usually once a week, and the software checks that your aligners are fitting properly. The dentist is notified, compares progress with the plan and can send a message such as wear that aligner for another week, or good job. It works very well for yachties, seafarers and patients living elsewhere in South Africa or Africa. There is not much AI in it yet, and it does not replace the dentist, but it beats discovering at a six-week check that an aligner has not been fitting.[12:55] Are robots actually placing implants now? Guided implant surgery works like a GPS: a 3D scan is used to plan exactly where the implant should go before treatment begins. Most dentists then use a 3D-printed guide that clips over the neighbouring teeth to direct the drill. The robotic system instead guides the dentist's hand to the right angle and tells them when to stop, so a human is still doing the work. The more accurately an implant is placed, the better the crown that goes on it, and the better everything looks five or ten years later.[14:19] Who actually owns your dental data, and should you worry about privacy? A modern dental record is far more than notes: it includes scans, photos, x-rays and sometimes recordings. In South Africa it is protected under POPIA, the Protection of Personal Information Act, so you are entitled to know how it is stored, who it is shared with, and to ask for a copy. Your x-rays and scans belong to you, and a practice should not withhold them because of an unpaid account. Copying film x-rays once took real time in the darkroom, but now that records are digital, getting a copy of your x-rays or your chart should take a few clicks.[16:47] Will we ever be able to regrow teeth? Probably, but not tomorrow, and not the way the headlines make it sound. There is exciting work in Japan, initially for people born without some of their teeth, alongside gene editing with CRISPR and stem cell research, which is further off. The real danger is neglecting the teeth you have while waiting for a miracle, which is one of the most expensive bets you can make. With an implant and crown costing around R20,000 to R50,000 in South Africa, a mouth with 23 natural teeth holds at least R460,000 worth of implants, and natural teeth are better than implants.[19:09] How does virtual reality help anxious patients during treatment? Dr Yudelman has not used it on patients. The headsets he tried in America were impressive but too bulky, and would block the dentist's view of the mouth, especially when working with a microscope. Newer glasses that look more like a pair of sunglasses may solve that, taking your mind to a beach or under the ocean, with good sound as a distraction. VR is already used in burns units and other medical settings, and dentistry is likely to follow.[21:15] What are smart toothbrushes, and is the data actually useful? Smart brushes measure how hard you press, sense the angle of the brush and show which areas you are missing, often through an app, although much of the premium price is branding. OptiSmile stocks the Oclean, which warns you when you brush too hard. Dyson has just launched a brush overseas at about US$500, roughly R8,200, with a 100,000-pixel camera and AI taking 28 images a second, firing a jet of mouthrinse whenever it sees a gap between teeth. Dr Yudelman is cautious about water flossers, which can cause problems when used at the wrong angle, notes that the Dyson needs its own special toothpaste, and says early reports suggest it has had issues.[24:10] What excites you most about where dentistry is heading? It is not one gadget but the way everything works together: digital scans, AI on the x-ray, monitoring from home and better materials, such as the injectable composite whose bonding still looks good on patients six years later. At OptiSmile, SmileCloud merges studio photos with a 3D scan to simulate bonding, orthodontics or veneers, and even creates an AI video of the patient speaking with the new smile. That has largely replaced the old trial smile made from a mould filled with tooth-coloured material. Above all, these tools save teeth: it is about better decisions, not more treatment, which is the whole philosophy of the show.OutroThe closing thought is the one worth holding on to: the best technology in dentistry does not lead to more treatment. It leads to better decisions, and very often to less treatment, done earlier and more precisely. When a practice says it uses AI or robotics, ask whether it helps them catch problems earlier and treat you more conservatively, and look after the teeth you have rather than waiting for tomorrow's miracle.Looking ten years ahead to 2036, Dr Yudelman expects to still be practising, possibly with a robot doing much of the work under his control. He also floats an idea for the show's future: inviting professors and world experts from Europe, Australia and South Africa to share the very latest research.Further ResourcesSpecial Care Dentistry for Autism, Anxiety and Dementia (Episode 127): https://optismile.co.za/blog/special-care-dentistry-for-autism-anxiety-and-dementia/The Brushing Masterclass: Technique, Timing and Tools (Episode 117, smart and electric toothbrushes): https://optismile.co.za/blog/the-brushing-masterclass-technique-timing-tools/Floss vs Interdental Brushes: What Actually Works? (Episode 119, water flossers): https://optismile.co.za/blog/floss-vs-interdental-brushes-what-actually-works/Reading Your Dental X-Ray: A Patient's Guide (AI on x-rays): https://optismile.co.za/blog/reading-your-dental-x-ray-a-patients-guide/iTero 3D Scanner (no impression trays): https://optismile.co.za/dental-technology/itero/Digital Smile Design at OptiSmile: https://optismile.co.za/dental-technology2/digital-smile-design/Injection Moulded Composite Bonding at OptiSmile: https://optismile.co.za/dental-solutions/injection-moulding-technique/Invisalign at OptiSmile: https://optismile.co.za/dental-solutions/invisalign-cape-town/Dental Implants at OptiSmile: https://optismile.co.za/dental-solutions/dental-implants/Information Regulator South Africa, Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA): https://inforegulator.org.za/popia/Dyson CameraJet launch announcement: https://www.dyson.com/discover/news/latest/introducing-camerajetOptiSmile Podcast Series: https://optismile.co.za/podcasts/OptiSmile YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OptismileZa-dentist-cape-townContact OptiSmile: https://optismile.co.za/contact-dentist-cape-town/Disclaimer: The content provided in this podcast, "Save Your Money Save Your Teeth" on Medical Mondays, is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as dental or medical advice. The insights and opinions expressed by Dr. Clifford Yudelman and any guests are designed to foster a better understanding of dental health, preventive measures, and general well-being, but should not be interpreted as professional dental or medical recommendations. Dr. Clifford Yudelman does not diagnose, treat, or offer prevention strategies for any health conditions directly through this podcast. This platform is not a substitute for the personalized care and advice provided by a licensed dental or healthcare professional. We strongly encourage our listeners to consult with their own dental care providers to address individual dental health needs and concerns. The information shared here aims to empower listeners with knowledge about dental health but must not be used as a basis for making health-related decisions without professional guidance. Your dental care provider is the best source of advice about your dental and overall health. Please always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified health professionals regarding any questions or concerns about your dental health.
