US Patent 9026238 CAD system for assessing blank size

In general the invention is directed to computer implemented systems and methods for assessing the size of a dental restoration blank. In one embodiment, the invention provides a computer-readable medium comprising dental CAD application code which implements the following procedures: generating in a computer memory a three dimensional digital rendering of a dental restoration; generating in the computer a digital rendering of a blank volume, the blank volume corresponding in dimensions to the usable volume of a blank that is available for milling, and the blank volume having a boundary corresponding to its edges; calculating areas of the dental restoration which are beyond the boundary; and providing the calculated areas to a calling function, user, user interface, or module.