Assisted manual skills using a clinical surveyor device: disruptive invention for spatial location

Abstract

BackgroundGeometric and spatial relationships are essential for dental practice as a reference. Most manual procedures depend on the operator’s practice and ability, and they are non-assisted and non-controlled, depending on trial and error.AimDescribing the effectiveness of a disruptive innovation aimed at creating unwired technology (clinical surveyor device (CSD)) for assisting an operator’s manual skills/dexterity and controlling applications for training and clinical use in several areas of dentistry: rehabilitation, implants surgery and orthodontics.Materials and methodsTesting the device involved 25 odontology specialists and 20 10th semester undergraduate students and postgraduate residents. A paired Student t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for comparison to ascertain whether there was a statistically significant difference when performing procedures with and without using a CSD. Biplot cluster analysis was used for understanding data structure and its variability, capturing variables and individuals’ inter-relationships.ResultA significant difference was found when using a CSD, which rejected the null hypothesis. There was no significant difference (p value of >0.05 regarding operators (experienced maxillofacial, periodontics and rehabilitators, periodoncy and rehabilitation programme final-year residents and 10th semester undergraduate students).ConclusionThe CSD’s advantages regarding accuracy would be related to controlling real hand position, enabling better-assisted operator skills and thereby creating confidence during rehabilitation/implant/orthodontic procedures.