The invention relates to a process of manufacturing a dental milling block with a homogeneous color and/or translucency gradient. This process comprises the steps of providing a mold with a cavity having a z-direction and an x/y-direction, filling the cavity partially with a first powder up to a height H1, the first powder having a volume VP1 with a top and bottom surface, introducing a second powder on top of the first powder up to a height H2, the second powder having a volume VP2 with a top and bottom surface and, the top surface of the first powder being in contact with the bottom surface of the second powder and forming an intermediate region, providing a mixer unit with at least one rotatable mixing element, introducing the rotating mixing element in z-direction into the intermediate region, mixing the powder located in the intermediate region by rotating the mixing element, removing the rotating mixing element from the powder, compacting the powder, optionally applying heat to the compacted powder, the first powder differing from the second powder by its physical properties and/or chemical composition and/or color. The invention also relates to a process of producing a dental restoration using dental milling block obtainable according to this process.