Study on Feature Extraction Method for Tooth Surface Based on Snake Model

Abstract

Defective tooth restoration is an essential element for prosthetic tooth, while the tooth shape is mainly determined by its anatomic features. The feature extraction of the tooth surface is one of the important issues in dental CAD/CAM system. In this paper, a feature extraction method of tooth surface based on snake model is proposed. Using the first molar tooth in lower jaw as an instance, the coordinates of the anatomic features are first defined, then by setting different contour energy on the anatomic features and assigning proper energy weight ratio based on snake model, the features of the first molar tooth are extracted successfully. Finally, the feature extraction case studies are performed on other molar and canine teeth. The results show that the tooth features can be accurately extracted and well reflect the tooth morphological characters.