• Piyarat Chalermsuksant D.D.S., M.S.
• Boworn Jaichob B.Eng.
• Orapin Kaewplung D.D.S., Ph.D. (Maxillofacial Prosthodontics)
• Charnchai Pluempitiwiriyawej B.Eng., Ph.D.

Objective To present and evaluate the implementation of computer-aided design software developed
for editing tooth images and predicting post treatment results, using size and proportion of the upper
anterior teeth calculated from anatomical reference points on the patientûs face.

Materials and methods Calculation theory of the size of the upper central incisor and teeth image
segmentation theory were applied for developing the software in editing teeth images. This software
was then implemented and evaluated on a group of patients.

Results The software could automatically calculate the size and the proportion of the upper anterior
teeth from the reference points on the face efficiently, and produced tooth imagesû size and proportion
according to the calculation results. Moreover, the images could be resized, relocated, cropped and
moved from the original position. After editing, the obtained images lost some degree of their
sharpness, thus required image processing to improve the image quality. When the software was
implemented on a group of patients, improvement of the communication between patients and dentist
was demonstrated.

Conclusion The developed software could calculate the size of teeth, edit and improve the images
quality, which should facilitate the dental treatment planning and provide a visual aid with which to
communicate with patients before performing the actual treatment.

(CU Dent J. 2011;34:155-68)