A dental CAD/CAM system performs structural analyses of a candidate prosthetic dental item that is to be created using design data representing the prosthetic dental item. The dental CAD/CAM system can recommend positioning of a surface of the prosthetic dental item within a volume of a milling block based on the design data and data representing desired aesthetic properties of the prosthetic dental item. The dental CAD/CAM system can generate and display simulated images of the aesthetic properties of the prosthetic dental item using the design data, data representing the surface of the prosthetic dental item, data representing the volume of the milling block, and data representing aesthetic properties of the milling block. The dental CAD/CAM system can be used to form prosthetic dental items having complex aesthetic properties, such as translucent regions and shades of colors that vary spatially.
