Align Technology, Inc.
Virtual fillers for virtual models of dental arches

Abstract:

A processing device determines two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model, the two or more adjacent teeth include a first tooth adjacent to a second tooth in the virtual model. The processing device inserts a first virtual filler in the virtual model between the first tooth and the second tooth. The processing device selects points in the virtual model. A processing device transforms the plurality of points into a voxel volume comprising a plurality of voxels. A processing device performs a smoothing operation on the voxel volume. A processing device subsequent to performing the smoothing operation on the voxel volume, determines a geometry of an updated virtual filler by transforming a surface of the smoothed voxel volume into a polygonal mesh.