Hello and welcome to Living in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

Newer dental technology is now available in the Lehigh Valley.

A robot referred to as Yomi is the first of its kind for oral surgery, and the Bethlehem office is one of the only places in the state using the device.

- All right, Terri, you can have a seat right here.

- BRITTANY: When a piece of her back tooth cracked, Terri Bartholomew decided to get a dental implant.

- I was given the choice whether or not I wanted to just leave it there or if I wanted to have an implant.

And I decided to do the implant, as I had had implants done before.

- BRITTANY: This may not have been the Allentown resident's first implant, but it would be her first implant using technology new to the Lehigh Valley.

- DENTIST: It's tracking the patient in real time, and if the patient moves, the system will follow.

- It's got measurements and so forth that will guarantee.

So had no objection to it.

- BRITTANY: Bartholomew put her trust in Dr Wayne Saunders, the director of St Luke's OMS Implant Center in Bethlehem, and the Yomi dental robot in his newly renovated office.

- The Yomi is a state-of-the-art robot that helps us place dental implants in a non-invasive, efficient manner.

And it's really revolutionized what we can do with dental implants.

- BRITTANY: The oral maxillofacial surgeon says the robot speeds up surgery and recovery times.

- DR SAUNDERS: What the Yomi robot does is it allows us to take CAT scan technology, which we have in the office as well, and coordinate it with the robot to place perfectly placed implants exactly where we want them with minimal invasive surgery in a very efficient, timely manner.

- BRITTANY: The device is available in almost every state across the country, multiple dental schools and one hospital at this time.

Each location using the Yomi has a representative from Neocis, the company that created it.

- Yomi is the first and only FDA-approved robot for dental implants, so being on the forefront of that innovative technology allows a doctor to really separate their practice from the others in the area.

- BRITTANY: William Skelton is in the Bethlehem office, assisting Dr Saunders and his team.

- WILLIAM: This device allows the doctors to plan their implants precisely, submillimeter accuracy.

- BRITTANY: The office reopened earlier this year after extensive renovations with a Yomi in place.

It's only the second to be used in the state.

Saunders says he wanted to offer his patients the most technologically advanced implant process out there.

- Not only do we have the Yomi robot, but we have special scanners and CAT scan machines and 3D printers to really offer state-of-the-art, top-of-the=line dental implant surgery to the Lehigh Valley.

- BRITTANY: A few months in, the investment seems to be paying off for both the doctor and his patients - like Bartholomew.

- BARTHOLOMEW: It was just a very pleasant experience.

I mean, I've been to the dentist many times over the years and they've been... ..for some difficult things.

And it's nice to know that this is going to have a good outcome.

- Patients at the St Luke's location have the option to opt in or out of using the technology.

Those who opt in pay a minimal fee.

That will do it for this edition of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.