Patent ID: 7844429

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for modeling of a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment, said computer-implemented method for modeling comprising: generating at least one patient digital tooth model comprising a crown component; generating at least one generic digital tooth model corresponding to said at least one patient digital tooth model, said at least one generic digital tooth model comprising both root and crown components; and morphing said at least one patient digital tooth model with said at least one generic digital tooth model to provide a complete digital tooth model of the patient wherein morphing comprises: generating an initial morphing function; calculating a patient root component from said initial morphing function; conducting interactive adjustment of said patient root component comprising adjusting by at least one of length and rotation; stitching a corresponding patient crown component to said patient root component, wherein stitching comprises: projecting three-dimensional loops onto an x-y plane; constructing a merged loop; re-triangulating a crown mesh and a root mesh; and merging said crown mesh with said root mesh; utilizing crown landmarks to calculate the initial morphing function, which is used to determine a morphed central axis; repositioning a central axis of said generic tooth model to be tangent to said morphed central axis; scaling said repositioned central axis of said generic tooth model to be substantially equal to said morphed central axis in a z-direction; and calculating a final morphing function through use of both the crown landmarks and the root landmarks from said generic tooth model and said patient tooth model.