A method and apparatus for producing data for making dental prostheses,
wherein the data can be produced on the basis of a model (2) which
comprises individual segments (3a, 3b, 3c, . . . ), such as representing
a tooth, a preparation, a gingival area, a tooth gap or a small group of
teeth, from different directions in space, and a storing device for
storing the shape data obtained thereby, and--second shape data (12) of
only the one segment (3a, 3b, 3c, . . . ), only part of the segment (3a,
3b, 3c, . . . ) being scanned, and the segment (3a, 3b, 3c, . . . ) being
arranged in a fixed orientation relative to a reference, and b) a
comparing device for comparing the first and second shape data (1, 12) to
determine the orientation of the first shape data (1) relative to the
reference.