Patent ID: 8108189
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: A61C,G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for modeling a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment comprising: generating a first set of digital data representing a clinical crown; generating a second set of digital data representing a plurality of digital tooth models of a particular tooth type each having a first parameterization; processing the second set of digital data to obtain a third set of digital data representing an average tooth model of the particular tooth type having a second parameterization which is less than the first parameterization; establishing a boundary value for a number of parameters of the second parameterization to prevent an area of each face of a mesh from decreasing beyond a particular fraction of an initial area of each face while being affected by any change in the number of parameters, thereby avoiding self-intersection of the mesh, where the number of parameters represent changes to the average tooth model, where the mesh represents surfaces of the average tooth model, and where establishing boundary values includes minimizing a quadratic function including a vector with a direction of a normal to a particular face of the average tooth model and a magnitude equal to an area of the particular face for the number of parameters; fitting the third set of digital data to the first set of digital data to create a set of digital data representing an interim tooth model; and morphing the set of digital data representing the interim tooth model to substantially mimic the anatomical shape of the clinical crown of the first set of digital data.