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2Robot Technology in dentistry, literature characteristics19IntroductionThe first generally recognized digitally operated and programmable robot was an industrial robot called ‘Unimate’ (Unimation, Inc., USA) that was used in the automotive industry in 1961 [1]. The Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly 200 (PUMA 200, Westinghouse Electric, Pittsburg, PA, USA) was the first robot to be used in medicine over 25 years later (1988). Its purpose was to align a needle during neurosurgical biopsies [2]. Since then, experiments with robot technology in many fields of dentistry have been described, for example in implantology, restorative dentistry and education [3-5]. Some robotic solutions have become commercially available in recent years and are marketed for use in the general dentist practice, such as the implantology robot ‘Yomi’ (Neocis, Miami, Florida, USA). For the general dentist, it might be difficult to keep track of these initiatives and their level of (scientific) development. Furthermore, in ‘grey literature’ the capabilities of robots when it comes to their functionality and stage of development might be difficult to interpret and can be easily overestimated [6]. Most reviews on this topic have a narrow scope, i.e., describing robot technology in a specific field. A recent review by Grischke et al. (2020) explained more about the possibilities of robotics on a broader scale in dentistry, including cognitive robotics, but as with other reviews concerning robot technology in dentistry, it lacked a clear systematic approach [7-9]. To the authors best of knowledge, a strong systematic overview of available evidence in dental robotics and how this evidence is synthesized is missing. In this first part of a systematic review, the primary aim is to provide dental practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive, transparent and evidence-based overview of the characteristics of the literature and level of development of robot initiatives in dentistry. In a second part of this systematic review, an overview of the usage of robot technology in all fields of dentistry since its very beginning is provided. Tom van Riet.indd 19 26-10-2023 11:59