Digital dental modeling

1. A method for digital dental modeling, comprising:

simulating movement of a first jaw of a three-dimensional digital dental model in response to a number of forces including:

an axial force applied to the first jaw toward a second jaw of the three-dimensional digital dental model;

a number of photo attraction forces applied to the first jaw, wherein the number of photo attraction forces are applied:

at a number of second points marked on the three-dimensional digital dental model corresponding to a number of first points marked on a two-dimensional image of a patient's jaws in a bite configuration;

in a direction parallel to a plane fit to the number of second points; and

in a direction toward a number of third points mapped to the plane from the number of second points marked on the two-dimensional image; and

a number of reaction forces from interaction of the first jaw and the second jaw; and

reporting a bite set where the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces reach an equilibrium such that the first jaw ceases moving.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:

holding the second jaw fixed;

modeling each tooth of the three-dimensional digital dental model as a space volume with a constant density confined within a closed mesh formed by multiple points; and

applying the axial force to a center of mass of the first jaw.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein method includes acquiring the two-dimensional image and data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a same stage of patient treatment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:

acquiring data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a first stage of patient treatment; and

acquiring the two-dimensional image at a later stage of patient treatment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating movement of the first jaw includes:

simulating movement of the first jaw in discrete time steps;

holding the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces constant during a particular time step; and

recalculating the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces after the particular time step.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein simulating movement includes ending the simulation when the first jaw remains in a substantially same position for at least two consecutive time steps.

7. A system for digital dental modeling, comprising:

a three-dimensional digital dental model including a first jaw and a second jaw;

a correlation module to correlate a number of first points marked on a two-dimensional image of a patient's jaws in a bite configuration with a number of second points on the three-dimensional digital dental model;

a position module configured to simulate movement of the first jaw in response to a number of forces including:

an axial force applied to the first jaw toward the second jaw;

a number of photo attraction forces applied to the first jaw, wherein the number of photo attraction forces are applied:

at the number of second points;

in a direction parallel to a plane fit to the number of second points; and

in a direction toward a number of third points mapped to the plane from the number of second points marked on the two-dimensional image; and

a number of reaction forces from interaction of the first jaw and the second jaw; and

a display module to report a bite set where the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces reach an equilibrium such that the first jaw ceases moving.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each tooth of the three-dimensional digital dental model is modeled as a space volume with a constant density confined within a closed mesh formed by multiple points; and

wherein the position module is configured to hold the second jaw fixed and to apply the axial force to a center of mass of the first jaw.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is configure to acquire the two-dimensional image and data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a same stage of patient treatment.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is configured to acquire data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a first stage of patient treatment; and

acquire the two-dimensional image at a later stage of patient treatment.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the position module is configured to:

simulate movement of the first jaw in discrete time steps;

hold the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces constant during a particular time step; and

recalculate the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces after the particular time step.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the position module is configured to end the simulation when the first jaw remains in a substantially same position for at least two consecutive time steps.

13. A non-transitory computing device-readable medium storing instructions executable to:

simulate movement of a first jaw of a three-dimensional digital dental model in response to a number of forces including:

an axial force applied to the first jaw toward a second jaw of the three-dimensional digital dental model;

a number of photo attraction forces applied to the first jaw, wherein the number of photo attraction forces are applied:

at a number of second points marked on the three-dimensional digital dental model corresponding to a number of first points marked on a two-dimensional image of a patient's jaws in a bite configuration;

in a direction parallel to a plane fit to the number of second points; and

in a direction toward a number of third points mapped to the plane from the number of second points marked on the two-dimensional image; and

a number of reaction forces from interaction of the first jaw and the second jaw; and

report a bite set where the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces reach an equilibrium such that the first jaw ceases moving.

14. The medium of claim 13 , including instructions to:

hold the second jaw fixed;

model each tooth of the three-dimensional digital dental model as a space volume with a constant density confined within a closed mesh formed by multiple points; and

apply the axial force to a center of mass of the first jaw.

15. The medium of claim 13 , including instructions to acquire the two-dimensional image and data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a same stage of patient treatment.

16. The medium of claim 13 , including instructions to:

acquire data comprising the three-dimensional digital dental model at a first stage of patient treatment; and

acquire the two-dimensional image at a later stage of patient treatment.

17. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions to simulate movement of the first jaw include instructions to:

simulate movement of the first jaw in discrete time steps;

hold the axial force, the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces constant during a particular time step; and

recalculate the number of photo attraction forces, and the number of reaction forces after the particular time step.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to simulate movement include instructions to end the simulation when the first jaw remains in a substantially same position for at least two consecutive time steps.