3D Data Analysis for Teeth Morphology Study

Abstract

Morphological studies are carried out predominantly in dental or anthropological research not just because these disciplines are directly related to teeth: dental structures are able to provide a wide-range of important information. Traditional odontological (related to teeth) study techniques can be associated, in general, to descriptive and measuring approaches. Descriptive techniques have been always more developed and compensating scarceness of odontometrics, as traditional manual measurements provide definitely insufficient information for morphological assessments – only approximate size evaluations are possi- ble. However, the presented in the article new non-contact odontometric technique has proved its capability to overcome barriers and to improve dental measuring research through obtaining dense and accurate data of significant diversity and amount to turn quantitative assessments of dental structures into qualitative and related to morphology. The method itself is based on improved interpretation of dental morphology providing two basic stages: orientation of 3D models of teeth and measurements on series of its sections. At the final stage odontometric data is captured, re-calculated and subjected to analyses.