Method for manipulating a dental virtual model, method for creating physical entities based on a dental virtual model thus manipulated, and dental models thus created

A system for generating missing data for 3D models of intraoral structures of a patient, the system comprising:

• a hand-held intraoral scanner;
• a computer having instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:
• scan, using the hand-held intraoral scanner, the intraoral structure of a patient to generate first 3D data of a prepared tooth of the intraoral structure of the patient, the prepared tooth having had dental material removed therefrom;
• generate a 3D virtual model of the prepared tooth of the intraoral structure of the patient based on the first 3D data;
• determine the 3D virtual model does not include a portion of a finish line of the prepared tooth of the intraoral structure of the patient, the 3D virtual model including obscuring material that obscures the portion of the finish line of the prepared tooth;
• generate second 3D data including generated data of the obscured portion of the finish line, the generation being based on the 3D virtual model, the second 3D data including an approximated surface of the obscured portion of the finish line that approximates the portion of the finish line;
• and
• combine the second 3D data with the 3D virtual model such that the 3D virtual model includes the approximated surface.

A system for generating missing data for 3D models of intraoral structures of a patient, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory having instruction that when executed cause the system to:
• generate a 3D virtual model of the intraoral structure of the patient based on first 3D data generated from an intraoral scan of focused light on a surface of the intraoral structure of the patient, wherein the first 3D data includes a finish line of a prepared tooth, the prepared tooth having had dental material removed therefrom;
• determine of the 3D virtual model does not include an obscured portion of a surface of the finish line of the prepared tooth, the 3D virtual model including obscuring material that obscures a portion of a finish line of the prepared tooth;
• generate, in an automated manner, second 3D data based on the 3D virtual model and including generated data of the portion of the surface of the intraoral structure of the patient including an approximated surface of the portion of the surface of the intraoral structure of the patient that approximates the portion of the surface of the finish line of the prepared tooth of the intraoral structure of the patient;
• and
• combine the second 3D data with the 3D virtual model such that the 3D virtual model includes the approximated surface.