Dressed in a pink sweater, khaki pants, and red patent leather high heeled pumps, she looks like any other young woman in Tokyo. However, she is Simroid, a robot given the task of helping dentists-in-training learn a gentle chairside manner and techniques to eliminate unnecessary pain during dental care.

She grimaces, moves her eyes and hands, and even says “That Hurts!” when a student hits a nerve. Simroid’s sensor-equipped teeth can be replaced so that dental students can practice everything from a basic filling, to root canal therapy, and even tooth extraction. She even gags when instruments are inserted too far into the mouth.

Simroid has air-powered muscles, soft silicone skin, and responds to instructions by moving her head or even speaking. She’s eerily realistic, so much so that it’s creepy. In fact, when I first saw a video demonstration of her, I was given no other information except to just watch it. For a while, I couldn’t tell that she wasn’t just a human with a plastic-like complexion and strange mannerisms. Then, I read the accompanying article and was shocked.

But it makes sense. Instead of practicing on real people, dental students can train on a robot. There are no long-term consequences if a student pulls the wrong tooth or has a drilling incident go terribly wrong. Simroid’s teeth can just be replaced - ready for the next student.