Modeling of a Fitting Inlay from Various Information

Automatic occlusal surface reconstruction for all kinds of tooth restorations is an important ongoing research topic. It is undisputed that an automation of the restoration process is only possible if the typical geometry of teeth is known by the system. One realizable approach is the restoration of the occlusal surface by adapting an appropriate tooth model. A first prototype that was developed at our institute is based on this idea. The main goal of this approach is the explicit use of dental knowledge in the form of a small number of tooth models that have the ability to adapt to the patient's anatomy automatically. In this paper, we present the steps necessary to get from the adapted model to the surface representation of the fitting inlay. By analyzing the adapted tooth model together with the scanned reparation, the border of the cavity within the model is detected automatically. The resulting three dimensional line is used to cut the inlay out of the model and the scanned cavity. The latter has to be triangulated in order to get the bottom of the cavity. Having generated both meshes, top and bottom of the cavity, the only task left is to glue these two meshes together.