3D statistical models for tooth surface reconstruction

This paper presents a method to reconstruct the 3D surface of a tooth given partial information about its shape. A statistical model comprising a mean shape and a series of deformation modes is obtained offline using a set of specimens. During reconstruction, rigid registration is performed to align the mean shape with the target. The mean shape is then deformed to approximate the target by minimizing the sum of squared distances between the two surfaces according to the deformation modes. The method is shown to be efficient for the recovery of tooth shape given crown information.