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.
