Anatomy in 3D

Before you cut, find what you will be scored on. Peel the gum and enamel layers and turn on the cross-section.

1. Cusps and grooves The occlusal reduction follows them, so the table keeps its shape instead of going flat.
2. Functional cusps On a lower molar these are the buccal cusps; they get the functional cusp bevel in step 3.
3. Axial walls Each wall is read on its own against the line of draw, the path the crown seats along.
4. Cervical finish line The chamfer you finish in step 6; its width is the margin checkpoint.
5. Neighbors #29 and #31 The adjacent-tooth checkpoint is about them, not about #30.
6. Pulp Turn on the cross-section to see how the pulp sits under the occlusal table and the walls.