Dynamic virtual articulator for simulating occlusion of teeth

A virtual articulator system for simulating occlusion of teeth, where the system comprises:

• a virtual articulator comprising a virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and a virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw resembling the upper jaw and lower jaw, respectively, of the patient's mouth, wherein the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw include three dimensional models of teeth without restorations, and at least one of the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw with three dimensional models of teeth including one or more dental restorations;
• wherein the controller is further configured for displacing the at least one or more virtual dental restorations vertically relative to the jaw from an original position on at least one of the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw in order to provide a relative offset of the at least one or more virtual dental restorations;
• a controller configured for moving the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw relative to each other for simulating dynamic occlusion when performing computer-aided designing of the one or more dental restorations for a patient, whereby collisions between the teeth in the virtual upper and virtual lower jaw occur;
• and
• wherein the controller is further configured to provide that the teeth in the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw are blocked from penetrating each other's virtual surfaces in the collisions while permitting penetration of the at least one or more displaced virtual dental restorations, wherein the permission of the penetration is based on a preference of an operator or a user.

A computer-implemented method of simulating occlusion of teeth, the method comprises using a dynamic virtual articulator when performing computer-aided designing of one or more dental restorations for a patient, the method further comprises:

• providing the dynamic virtual articulator, the dynamic virtual articulator including a virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and a virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw resembling the upper jaw and lower jaw, respectively, of the patient's mouth, wherein the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw include three dimensional models of physical teeth without restorations, and at least one of the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw with three dimensional models of teeth including one or more dental restorations;
• displacing the virtual model of the one or more dental restorations vertically relative to the jaw from an original position on at least one of the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw in order to provide a relative offset of the virtual model of the one or more dental restorations;
• providing movement of the virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and the virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw relative to each other for simulating dynamic occlusion, whereby collisions between the teeth in the virtual upper and virtual lower jaw occur;
• detecting collisions of only the physical teeth during simulation of the dynamic occlusion by letting the displaced virtual model of the one or more dental restorations be penetrable;
• and
• using the physical teeth as a guide for determining the relative movement between the upper jaw and lower jaw.