Robotic dental assistant lends a steady hand in Baltimore County: 'More precise and accurate'

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore County dentist's newest assistant has a very steady hand, helping make some procedures a lot easier and more precise.

That's because it's a robot.

Dr. Kira Toulson, owner of Dental Care of Baltimore in Owings Mills, has been practicing dentistry for eight years. 

She said since getting the Yomi Robotic Dental System, it's made a lot of things easier around her office.

Dental implants historically have been a timely process, according to Toulson, often taking more than a month and a half to do.

"[I've had patients who say] they need their teeth by Friday because there's a wedding, somebody's getting married, somebody's graduating," Toulson said. "It's a big event and they want their teeth. We were not able to do that before."

But, with the Yomi machine, the process has turned from weeks to days. 

With it, she's able to plant the implants digitally and able to make changes as needed.

This eliminated the need and restrictions posed by implant guides.

Also, the Yomi is dynamic, meaning it can move as needed. It helps keep the procedure precise, even with sudden movements.

"It just makes the treatments so much faster, so much more predictable," Toulson said.

Toulson is the first in the area to use this machine. 

She said the costs of implants can be partially covered by insurance and, at a minimum, is $2,000.

With the help of Yomi, recovery time has shortened as well.

"We're not making big incisions, we're not making big flaps, so patients are able to recover a lot quicker. I'm not using sutures," Toulson said. "Since everything is so precise, I don't have to see like I used to. It's much more precise and accurate."

Jeffery McKelvin is one of Toulson's longtim patients. He's in the middle of getting his second round of implants.

Now that Yomi is involved, he said the experience is markedly different.

"It went much faster and seemed smoother. Naturally, the only pain I feel is when they have to hit me with needles to numb [my mouth] up. After that, I'm good, no more pain," McKelvin said.

Toulson said since getting the Yomi, her dental implant patients have been able to save money on the procedure, mostly thanks to the savings she's been able to make since getting the machine.

The Yomi is a first FDA-approved robot in the dental space.