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The role of social robots in dentistry: security, privacy and future prospects

British Dental Journal volume 239, pages 647–651 (2025)Cite this article

This paper explores the implementation of social robots in dental practices, focusing on their potential to provide patient-centred care, particularly for individuals with dental anxiety, intellectual disabilities, or autism. It highlights how these robots can support decision-making processes in dental clinics, reduce patient stress, and offer companionship during procedures. While current research shows potential for positive results, such as improved patient behaviour and reduced anxiety in children, the widespread adoption of such technology is hindered by significant gaps in high-quality clinical trials, legal and ethical considerations, and data security concerns. To assess the importance of security and privacy prospects in this context, we also conducted a small user study investigating patient perspectives on two-factor authentication in social robots. Our findings indicate that while patients appreciate security measures, ease of use and transparency regarding data handling are critical for acceptance. The study also highlights the necessity of balancing security protocols with user experience to ensure effective integration into clinical settings. Future research needs to not only refine robotic designs but also improve cybersecurity protocols, ensuring that these technologies are safe, secure, and effectively integrated into dental practices.

Key points

  • Social robots can potentially reduce stress and anxiety in patients, particularly children, and provide emotional support for patients with intellectual disabilities. However, well-conducted clinical trials are required to evaluate these effects.

  • There is a need for better cybersecurity measures if robotics technologies are implemented in dental practice. It must be transparent to patients that the robot collects data when engaging with them, ensuring that patients have consented and are aware of how their data is stored.

  • The development of these technologies needs to progress hand-in-hand with the development and adaptation of ethical and legal safeguards.

  • Abstract

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Angelo Cangelosi, Dr Jordan Mistry and Dr Mario Gianni who had supported the PRIDE project at different stages of its development.

Funding

The patient and public involvement sessions were supported by an EPSRC IAA grant along with resources from Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth. Gregory Kua was supported partially as part of a summer internship provided by School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peninsula Dental School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, UK

    Mona Nasser

  2. Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London, UK

    Hooman Samani

  3. Peninsula Dental School, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, UK; Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torquay, UK

    Alexander Pollard

  4. Dubai Dental Hospital, Dubai Health, United Arab Emirates

    Shiamaa Al-Mashhadani

  5. School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, University of Plymouth, UK

    Gregory Kua & Hai-Van Dang

Authors
  1. Mona Nasser
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  2. Hooman Samani
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  3. Alexander Pollard
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  4. Shiamaa Al-Mashhadani
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  5. Gregory Kua
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  6. Hai-Van Dang
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Contributions

MN, HS, and H-VD developed the concept of the papers. All authors contributed to writing the paper. GK, H-VD and MN were involved in designing the user testing. GK and H-VD ran the study and analysed it.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mona Nasser.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors are part of a research group with an interest to address these issues.

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Nasser, M., Samani, H., Pollard, A. et al. The role of social robots in dentistry: security, privacy and future prospects. Br Dent J 239, 647–651 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8818-9

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