Method and apparatus for communicating tooth characteristics and tooth restoration produced thereby

A method for making a communication tool for communicating characteristics of observable tooth appearance comprising:

• designating a category of tooth appearance, wherein the category comprises at least one specific feature of tooth appearance;
• selecting a particular specific feature;
• reviewing a plurality of images of teeth;
• selecting one of the images of a particular tooth, wherein the particular tooth represents the particular specific feature;
• separating the particular specific feature from the selected image;
• applying the separated particular specific feature to an image of an exemplary tooth to create an exemplary specific feature image;
• assigning a code to uniquely identify the exemplary specific feature image;
• and
• displaying the exemplary specific feature image and the assigned code in combination on a means perceivable to a user.

A method for communicating characteristics of observable tooth appearance utilizing a communication tool, the communication tool comprising a plurality of images of a tooth, wherein each of the images depicts a specific feature of tooth appearance, each of the images is assigned a code to uniquely identify the specific feature, and each of the images is categorized with at least one other of the images in a plurality of subset categories of related images, the method comprising:

• selecting one of the subset categories;
• displaying within the selected subset category at least one of the plurality of images;
• comparing the at least one of the images displayed to an actual feature of a subject tooth;
• selecting a like image from the at least one of the images displayed, wherein the specific feature of the like image most closely resembles that actual feature of the subject tooth;
• recording the code assigned to the selected like image;
• and
• repeating the aforementioned steps for one or more of the subset categories in the categorization.

A method of creating a restoration for a subject tooth utilizing a communication tool, the communication tool comprising a plurality of images of a tooth, wherein each of the images depicts a specific feature of tooth appearance, each of the images is assigned a code to uniquely identify the specific feature, and each of the images is categorized with other of the images in a plurality of subset categories of related images, the method comprising:

• receiving a recorded code for the specific feature that most closely resembles an actual feature of the subject tooth to be restored;
• locating a particular image among the plurality of images, wherein the code of the particular image in the communication tool corresponds to the recorded code;
• viewing the particular image;
• creating a constructed feature on the restoration based upon the specific feature displayed on the particular image.

A method for creating an image of an observable characteristic of tooth appearance comprising:

• designating a category of tooth appearance, wherein the category comprises at least one specific feature of tooth appearance;
• selecting a particular specific feature;
• reviewing a plurality of images of teeth;
• selecting one of the images of a particular tooth, wherein the particular tooth represents the particular specific feature;
• separating the particular specific feature from the selected image;
• and
• applying the separated particular specific feature to a first template, wherein the first template comprises an exemplary tooth.

A booklet for communicating characteristics of observable tooth appearance comprising:

• at least one page;
• a plurality of images of a tooth displayed across the page, wherein
• each of the images depicts at least one specific feature of tooth appearance;
• and
• a plurality of codes displayed across the page, wherein
• each of the codes is assigned to a respective one of the images, and
• each of the codes uniquely identifies the specific feature of its respective assigned one of the images.