Patent ID: 7946846

Claim:
A dental instrument configured for determining three dimensional (3D) topography of a teeth segment comprising one or more teeth, said instrument comprising: an imaging optics and electronics assembly configured for projecting incident beams of light toward said teeth segment and for capturing an image formed by the incident light beams that are reflected from said teeth segment; a processor, processing said captured image to generate therefrom the 3D topography; and a handheld probe comprising: a probe head, an external optical sensing face at a distal end of said probe head, placed proximal to said teeth segment when in use, wherein said incident beams of light are directed toward said teeth segment through said external optical sensing face and said incident light beams reflected from said teeth segment are received through said external optical sensing face, and two auxiliary nozzles that directs a first stream of gas to or from said external optical surface and a second stream of gas towards said teeth segment, wherein said two auxiliary nozzles are directly coupled to said handheld probe, wherein said dental instrument further comprises a heat source configured for providing said first stream of gas at a temperature above body temperature.