Method and system for making a dental restoration

A method of making a dental restoration, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a computer model of a three-dimensional reference surface that is based on a shape of at least one of:
• a tooth structure of a tooth to be restored in a patient's dentition, and
• a dental restoration for the tooth,
• visualizing the three-dimensional reference surface;
• providing a user operable virtual material deposition tool;
• using the virtual material deposition tool to deposit a plurality of computer simulated layers relative to the reference surface;
• assigning at least two of the plurality of computer simulated layers different tooth colors;
• assigning at least one of the plurality of layers with a virtual material thickness;
• assigning at least one of the plurality of layers with a virtual dimension lateral to the thickness
• determining a position relative to the reference surface or relative to a deposited layer;
• positioning the virtual material deposition tool toward the determined position;
• and
• activating the virtual material deposition tool for depositing one of the plurality of layers at the determined position.