Patent ID: 7689398

Claim:
A computerized system for interproximal reduction (IPR) tooth modeling of a patient to facilitate orthodontic treatment, said computerized system comprising: a microprocessor; and a memory device including instructions for a plurality of algorithms; wherein the microprocessor is configured for: determining whether a tooth has a potential for overlap with at least one neighboring tooth; generating a three-dimensional IPR tooth model for the tooth based on the potential for overlap between the tooth and at least one neighboring tooth including constructing a stripping surface for the tooth by constructing a stripping plane for the tooth by determining a normal direction of the stripping plane based on local coordinate systems for the tooth or other appropriate references and the at least one neighboring tooth, and determining a target point between contours associated with the tooth and the at least one neighboring tooth, with the stripping plane being constructed to pass through the target point and in the normal direction; and developing an orthodontic treatment plan to facilitate the movement of the tooth and the at least one neighboring tooth from an initial position to a final position using the three-dimensional IPR tooth model.