Prioritization of three dimensional dental elements

A method of viewing a three-dimensional (3D) digital model of a patient's dentition, the method comprising:

• receive a dental data set including spatial information regarding presentation of 3D digital model in a virtual 3D space to be viewed on a user interface;
• display a perspective of the 3D digital model on the user interface such that a portion of a second object is behind a first object, wherein the first object has a higher priority than the second object such that the portion of the second object behind the first object is not viewable through the first object and a reference point on the portion of the second object is not selectable by a user;
• and
• in response to a user selection, changing a priority such that the second object has a higher priority than the first object, wherein once the priority is changed, a transparency of the first object is changed such that the portion of the second object behind the first object is viewable through the first object and the reference point on the second object is selectable by the user.

A system for viewing a three-dimensional (3D) digital model of a patient's dentition, the system comprising:

• a memory having computer-readable instructions stored thereon;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
• receive a dental data set including spatial information regarding presentation of 3D digital model in a virtual 3D space to be viewed on a user interface;
• display a perspective of the 3D digital model on the user interface such that a portion of a second object is behind a first object, wherein the first object automatically has a higher priority than the second object since the first object has surfaces that appear closer to a viewer than surfaces of the second object, wherein the portion of the second object behind the first object is not viewable through the first object and a reference point on the portion of the second object is not selectable by a user;
• and
• in response to a user selection, changing a priority such that the second object has a higher priority than the first object, wherein once the priority is changed, a transparency of the first object is changed such that the portion of the second object behind the first object is viewable through the first object and the reference point on the second object is selectable by the user.