The invention relates to a method, a device and a computer software for making an individual model of a jawbone, which are particularly useful in the development of dental implants or pre-operative planning of implants. The method comprises the following steps: making a tomogram of a jawbone perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the jawbone; determining the boundary of the jawbone and the surrounding tissue and the boundary between the compact and spongiosal portion of the jawbone; transforming said boundaries into a two-dimensional profile; and extruding the two-dimensional profile into a three-dimensional volume body model of the jawbone. The volume body model of the jawbone may be combined with the volume body model of an implant and then transformed into a finite element model.