Patent ID: 7844356

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