Before we begin practicing, let me tell you about something. Basically, all of the habits and techniques that you have learned from the cavity prep course also applies to the crown preparation as well (especially doing hand rests, removing/avoiding unsupported enamel, careful planning and appreciation of the anatomy).

However, the only difference between them is that, though you are taught to conserve structures in cavity preparation, it is actually the opposite in crown preparation. Everything is reduced so much that some students would be very much afraid of doing so because they thought that what they are doing is wrong.

There are also some students who have a mindset that maintaining the shape of the tooth anatomy translates to conserving the tooth anatomy. They are different things, actually. For example, in making occlusal reductions, the result will be that they are very focused on maintaining the occlusal anatomy but completely missed to focus on the actual reduction itself. So the whole table has very perfect anatomy but once you check the clearance, there is none!

In fact, the main idea of doing a crown prep is to make a space for the fabricated crown. You NEED to reduce the surface. If everything is under reduced, the crown would be so thin or yet the lab will make it bulkier and the whole anatomy is just so off. So in the bench test, one of the most gravest mistake is an UNDER reduced crown. Though you may think that you have reduced so much (or the crown may seem small) as long as you have done correct depth grooves and guide grooves and have correct bur angulation, you will be fine.

On the side of the examiner, an under reduced crown will make give the impression to the you that: (1) the applicant is afraid to reduce, or (2) do not know how to make a crown prep. To weigh between under reduced or over reduced crown, it is definitely better to over reduce it a little bit. More so, it is advisable to use bigger burs and courser burs because it is effective in reducing more tooth (and also you will finish quicker). Though using these burs are very intimidating at first, trust me, it will definitely make your life easier.

For the next few sections, we will guide you on how to do proper techniques of doing crown preparation.