Augmented reality implementations in stomatology

Abstract

Augmented reality has a wide range of applications in many areas that can extend the study of real objects into the digital world, including stomatology. Real dental objects that were previously examined using their plaster casts are often replaced by their digital models or three-dimensional (3D) prints in the cyber-physical world. This paper reviews a selection of digital methods that have been applied in dentistry, including the use of intra-oral scanning technology for data acquisition and evaluation of fundamental features of dental arches. The methodology includes the use of digital filters and morphological operations for spatial objects analysis, their registration, and evaluation of changes during the treatment of specific disorders. The results include 3D models of selected dental arch objects, which allow a comparison of their shape and position during repeated observations. The proposed methods present digital alternatives to the use of plaster casts for semiautomatic evaluation of dental arch measures. This paper describes some of the advantages of 3D digital technology replacing real world elements and plaster cast dental models in many areas of classical stomatology.