Statistical Virtual Teeth Fitting for Dental Restoration Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental implant planning systems require significant manual refinement and are computationally demanding, lacking an efficient method for estimating the shape, position, and orientation of prosthetic crown restorations, which are crucial for optimal functional and aesthetic outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a computing unit to fit a virtual teeth setup to a digitized intra-oral surface, using a mean virtual teeth setup based on statistical models and energy functions to adapt to the patient's anatomy, reducing the need for manual refinement and improving accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual segmentation and refinement methods are used for dental restoration planning, then the accuracy of shape, position and orientation estimation can be maintained through expert judgment, but the treatment time and user effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automated segmentation and estimation of dental restoration parameters by having the computing unit automatically process intra-oral surface scans to determine shape, position and orientation of restorations without requiring manual user intervention for each tooth element
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the approach from manual parameter measurement to automated parameter extraction by using computational algorithms to estimate restoration geometry parameters directly from surface scan data, transforming the workflow from expert-driven manual measurement to system-driven automated analysis
2Productivity
If fully automated segmentation algorithms are implemented, then productivity and efficiency improve by reducing manual work, but the complexity of the system increases and may reduce accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an intermediary approach by providing automated segmentation and estimation tools that assist rather than replace the dental professional, allowing the computing unit to perform complex calculations while the practitioner maintains oversight and makes final clinical decisions
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the complex task of restoration planning into distinct automated components: surface scan processing, tooth element segmentation, shape estimation, position determination, and orientation calculation, allowing each function to be handled by specialized algorithms
3Manufacturing precision
If detailed manual assessment of each tooth element is performed, then the manufacturing precision of the restoration can be optimized, but the user effort and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical measurement and assessment processes with computational algorithms that automatically analyze surface scan data to determine restoration geometry parameters, substituting human manual operations with automated digital processing
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a method for obtaining an estimation of the shape, position and/or orientation of one or more existing teeth of a patient or of one or more teeth to be included in a dental restoration destined to replace one or more missing teeth in a partially edentulous patient. The method involves adapting a virtual teeth setup to the intra-oral anatomical situation of the patient, wherein said virtual teeth setup comprises separated surface meshes of individual teeth positioned in a dental arch or segment thereof. The virtual teeth setup is adapted by optimizing an energy function, which represents a quality measure for said virtual teeth setup, and using a statistical model, which describes for a given dentition or segment thereof a probability distribution for at least the shapes of individual teeth, the relations between shapes of neighbouring teeth and/or relations between positions and/or orientations of neighbouring teeth. The adapted virtual teeth setup resulting from said optimized energy function is subsequently used to estimate said sought for shape, position and/or orientation.