Manipulating a digital dentition model to form models of individual dentition components

摘要

A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital mode of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.