June, 2008, Vol. 10, No. 2

CONTENTS

REVIEWS

Conventional and early loading of two-implant supported mandibular overdentures. A systematic review
Vygandas Rutkunas, Hiroshi Mizutani, Alina Puriene
51-61

SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Barx1, growth factors and apoptosis in facial tissue of children with clefts
Benita Krivicka-Uzkurele, Mara Pilmane, Ilze Akota
62-66

Creating three-dimensional tooth models from tomographic images
Isaac Newton Lima da Silva, Gustavo Frainer Barbosa, Rodrigo Borowski Grecco Soares, Maria Cecilia Gomes Beltrao, Ana Maria Spohr, Eduardo Golcalves Mota, Hugo Mitsuo Silva Oshima, Luiz Henrique Burnett Jr.
67-71

Relationship between mandibular cortical bone height and bone mineral density of lumbar spine
Estera Miliuniene, Vidmantas Alekna, Vytaute Peciuliene, Marija Tamulaitiene, Rasmute Maneliene
72-75

Caries experience in relation to oral hygiene, salivary cariogenic microflora, buffer capacity and secretion rate in 6-year olds and 12 year olds in Riga
Jekaterina Gudkina, Anda Brinkmane
76-80

© 2008 Stomatologija

Stomatologija 2008; 10 (2): 67-71 296 KB

Creating three-dimensional tooth models from tomographic images

Isaac Newton Lima da Silva, Gustavo Frainer Barbosa, Rodrigo Borowski Grecco Soares, Maria Cecilia Gomes Beltrao, Ana Maria Spohr, Eduardo Golcalves Mota, Hugo Mitsuo Silva Oshima, Luiz Henrique Burnett Jr.

Summary

The use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is becoming very frequent in Dentistry. However, most of the three-dimensional models presented by the literature for teeth are limited in terms of geometry. Discrepancy in shape and dimensions can cause wrong results to occur. Sharp cusps and faceted contour can produce stress concentrations, which are incoherent with the reality.

Aim. The aim of this study was the processing of tomographic images in order to develop an advanced three-dimensional reconstruction of the anatomy of a molar tooth and the integration of the resulting solid with commercially available CAD/CAE software.

Methods. Computed tomographic images were obtained from 0.5 mm thick slices of mandibular molar and transferred to commercial cad software. Once the point cloud data have been generated, the work on these points started to get to the solid model of the tooth with Pro/Engineer software.

Results. The obtained tooth model showed very accurate shape and dimensions, as it was obtained from real tooth data with error of 0.0 to -0.8 mm.

Conclusion. The methodology presented was efficient for creating a biomodel of a tooth from tomographic images that realistically represented its anatomy.

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¹School of Mechanical Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

²School of Dentistry, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Isaac Newton Lima da Silva¹ – M.E., MS, PhD, assoc. prof.

Gustavo Frainer Barbosa² – DDS, MS

Rodrigo Borowski Grecco Soares¹ – M.E.

Maria Cecilia Gomes Beltrao² – DDS, MS, PhD, assoc. prof.

Ana Maria Spohr² – DDS, MS, PhD, assoc. prof.

Eduardo Golcalves Mota² – DDS, MS, PhD, assoc. prof.

Hugo Mitsuo Silva Oshima² – DDS, MS, PhD, assoc. prof.

Luiz Henrique Burnett Jr.² – DDS, MS, PhD, professor

Address correspondence to Prof. Dr. Luiz Henrique Burnett Jr., Av. Ipiranga 6681, Faculdade de Odontologia, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil, Zip 90619-900.

E-mail: burnett@pucrs.br