Classification of Tooth Shapes for Human Identification Purposes-An Experimental Comparison of Selected Simple Shape Descriptors

摘要

The application of teeth as biometric features for human identification purposes is widely known thanks to their durability and dis-tinguishability. Nowadays, due to both improved dental care and dental filling materials that are invisible on dental radiographs, the identification should focus on the analysis of tooth shapes, both crown and root, alongside their positions in the mouth. Such an approach requires the automation of digital radiograph processing methods, including: image enhancement, tooth contour extraction, tooth classification and numbering. This paper considers and examines the problem of tooth shape classification using simple shape descriptors and a template matching approach. An attempt is made to establish which simple shape descriptor gives the best classification results.