Preliminary study on precise three-dimensional modeling of teeth and sockets from cone-beam computed tomography images.

As a preliminary study for the precise three-dimensional (3D) modeling of teeth and alveolar sockets from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, the validity of the concept that a single voxel can simultaneously belong to two adjacent teeth was verified. A segmentation method based on a region-growing algorithm was developed, and 3D models of the first and second premolars were created from CBCT images of a human dry skull. A comparison of the resulting 3D models with actual measurements demonstrated sufficient accuracy for both the mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters, supporting the validity of the duplicate voxel concept.