Have you ever wondered how dentists get so good at what they do? While you're sitting there with your mouth propped open, wondering how to respond to their benign banter with instruments and fingers in your mouth, they're performing precise, exacting work in that tiny space. Of course, the banter never stops and before too long you're free to go with filled cavities or a new crown or some whitening. All the while, you haven't gagged, they haven't hurt you, and you leave feeling great about about your smile. (If your experiences aren't like this you should go to http://www.dentaloptimizer.com and find a new dentist near you.)
You can imagine what the technical training is like in dental school: they're doctors so they're pushed to know everything about oral health and they don't get their degrees until their technique is perfect. For the more personal side of the profession a Japanese dental school has developed a unique training tool.
The Showa Hanako II is a full-size robotic doll developed in conjunction with a company that makes, of all things, sex dolls. This device is designed to give dental students the opportunity to develop their technique without making mistakes on human subjects. The current version even stores data and gives feedback on the performance of the student.
The Showa Hanako II has many movable parts designed to simulate the reactions of dental patients during dental exams and procedures. One of the most important features of the doll is the realistic face. This helps the students remember that it is real people that they will be treating in their careers. Another key feature is the gag reflex. This is a real risk that dentists must continually acknowledge but it is difficult to train on human subjects without risking injury or at least severe discomfort.
Other features and functions are designed to simulate things that patients do while they're in the chair. The Showa Hanako II can cough, blink its eyes, sneeze, and even get tired of keeping its mouth open. How will the students respond to these theoretical issues? They can get a readout of their performance which helps the professors determine whether or not they can move to the next stage.
These dolls also offer speech recognition which helps determine if the dentist is using the right kind of banter that keeps patients calm during procedures.
The Showa Hanako II hasn't really landed in the US but it will be used here soon, leading to a future of even better-trained dentists. You can learn more about this new robot here: http://www.tmsuk.co.jp/english/robots.html
These dolls also offer speech recognition which helps determine if the dentist is using the right kind of banter that keeps patients calm during procedures.
