Patent ID: 8131393

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for automatic construction of a local occlusal plane for a patient's tooth, comprising: a) receiving three dimensional data for the patient's tooth; b) setting an initial direction for determining a tip of the patient's tooth, the initial direction being a vertical axis of the tooth between a top of the patient's tooth and a root of the patient's tooth in the patient's gums; c) determining a tip, based on the initial direction, for each of a quadrant of the patient's tooth; d) calculating a local occlusal plane that best fits the determined tips; e) determining a normal for the calculated local occlusal plane; f) determining a new tip, based on the normal, for each quadrant of the patient's tooth; and g) calculating a new local occlusal plane that best fits the determined new tips; wherein steps (a)-(g) are performed by a computer.