Method and apparatus for matching digital three-dimensional dental models with digital three-dimensional cranio-facial CAT scan records

摘要

The system creates digital images of teeth topography using a dental impression tray that provides registration information for integration of a digital three-dimensional model with a digital three-dimensional cranio-facial CAT scan record. The impression tray is held in the patient's mouth during a CAT scan. The tray includes fiduciary markers that can be accurately located by the CAT scan. The tray also includes a dental impression material which, subsequent to the CAT scan, is removed from the patient's mouth and placed on a table of an X-Y-Z scanning machine for scanning the impression. In this manner, a set of electronic data related to the patient's teeth and surrounding soft tissues is generated. The fiduciary markers, which may be constructed of titanium, are included in both sets of electronic data for the patient's teeth. The markers are then used as common reference points in the spatial matching of the two scans.