Let’s review on the objective of occlusal reduction. The objectives of occlusal reduction is to create a uniform space interocclusally while maintaining the shape and location of the occlusal anatomy. Now we can only do this perfectly if we do depth grooves accurately. We need to place our depth grooves the same way as the direction of the grooves or the cusps that we want to maintain.

Next is that some people would try to make the depth grooves as “defined” as possible especially when doing it on the central groove. OR rather they bur out making grooves just for the sake of making a groove. Now the problem with this is that your going to be leaving a slither of gouged area at the middle which is very unsightly and obviously incorrect.

Now, let’s do a recap that the groove that is found on a crown prep is the result from two inclines or slopes that will eventually meet at the bottom. You will not deliberately make such a defined groove because this will be formed naturally as you do the reduction process.

So when you do your reduction, take one plane at a time in which you have to reduce from cusp tip down towards the bottom of the groove. You will create this perfectly unless your depth grooves are precisely located and put into correct depth.

ERRORS

Making the depth grooves deliberately deeper than the ideal will leave a gouged area. Removing so will just make your reduction a little bit deeper.

Carving out the grooves for the purpose of making a groove on it.. Grooves are not made just because they are carved out but because of plane change that happens between two different slopes.

PREVENTION

The mistake here is on how to do the correct occlusal reduction. When doing the reduction, there are two key things that are very important when placing depth grooves: (1) accurate location, (2) accurate depth

Accurate Location

Accurate Depth

TROUBLESHOOTING

When the gouge is not that deep, you may use a hand instrument to smoothen the sides of the gouge. The objective here is to make the downward slopes of the cusps to meet smoothly at the groove.