LASERS IN DENTAL TREATMENT WITHOUT NEEDLES AND DRILLS
Dr Omar Zuaiter
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Dentroid
Alaa Habeb
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Dentroid
Professor Laurence Walsh
Chief Dental Officer, Dentroid &
Emeritus Professor, School of Dentistry, University of Queensland &
Adjunct Professor, Griffith University, Queensland
Professor Heiko Spallek
Member Scientific Advisory Committee, Dentroid &
Head of School and Dean of The University of Sydney School of Dentistry
BENCH SIDE STORY CASE STUDY
Filmed in Brisbane, Canberra & Sydney | December 2024
In 2017, Dr. Omar Zuaiter and Alaa Habeb launched Dentroid, a dental technology startup with a mission to make dentistry a kinder and friendlier experience for patients and dentists using photonics (using laser technology) and robotics, as alternatives to needles, drills and sprays. The vision for the startup is to have dentistry adopt laser technology, addressing the root causes of dental pain & anxiety, and create a pain-free dental experience.
Dentroid is pioneering the adoption of femtosecond lasers in dentistry which will be their first surgical application outside eye surgery. Unlike conventional dental lasers or rotary instruments, femtosecond lasers have a very unique ability to precisely cut through the most resistant materials without requiring cooling or causing thermal damage. This “cold cutting” creates convenience for the patient, clearer vision for the practitioner and a cleaner environment in the office without microbes laden droplets.
A key distinctive feature of femtosecond laser in “cold cutting” is that it leaves the underlying tissues unharmed with the aim of supporting faster healing with less postoperative complications.
Dentroid envisages femtosecond lasers, combined with their patented miniaturised robotic technology will change the way dental tissues and restorative materials are prepared, processed and bonded not only in clinics but also in dental labs.
To support this mission, Dentroid has assembled a multidisciplinary team of world-renowned experts in dentistry and medicine, engineering, robotics, physics, medical sciences and AI informatics together with commercialisation and growth minds who helped scale startups grow to much larger organisations.
In this Bench Side Story Case Study release, we spoke with some of the key people involved in Dentroid mission and commercialisation journey.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This case study may contain projections and forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the potential benefits and success of the drug or therapeutic. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including but not limited to the risks and uncertainties associated with drug or device development and regulatory approval processes.
Viewers are advised content is for awareness and entertainment purposes only.
-
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) Blueprint Refresh Roundtable
AHHA’s Blueprint Refresh Roundtable brings together AHHA members and other Australian health leaders to evaluate the progress made to date against Healthy people, healthy systems and to tease out key policy issues that need to be addressed in order to implement outcomes-focused, value-based care in Australia.
-
Role of the Chief Nursing Officer
Professor Alison McMillan PSM spoke with Australian Health Journal about the role of Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer at the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Alison was appointed as our Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in November 2019.
In June 2021 Alison was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to driving the Government’s national health response priorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to infection prevention measures.
-
Medical research institutes association responds to draft national research strategy
On 27 August 2025, the Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing announced the release of the draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy (the National Strategy).
Involved in the initial consultation phase, was the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), the peak body for medical research institutes across Australia. Member institutes work on a broad spectrum of human health issues such as preventive health, chronic disease, mental health, immunology and Indigenous health. Their research ranges from fundamental biomedical discovery through to clinical research and the translation of research findings.
