before inserting the amalgam review the outline of the cavity preparation to form a mental image of the shape this will help later when you are carving the amalgam to the cave of surface margin use an amalgam carrier to transfer amalgam to the cavity preparation use a flat faced condenser to condense the amalgam over the Popol floor of the preparation the initial condenser should be small enough to condense into the line angles but large enough not to poke holes in the amalgam mass be sure to condense each portion of amalgam before placing the next increment each condensed increment should fill only 1/3 to 1/2 the cavity depth once the level of amalgam has reached the cave of surface margin overfill the preparation 1 millimeter or more using heavy pressure this will ensure that the cave of surface margins are completely covered with well condensed amalgam final condensation over cave of surface margins should be done perpendicular to the external enamel surface adjacent to the margins keep in mind you should complete the condensation of an amalgam mix within three to four minutes so that the unused portion does not become too crystallized to react properly with the condensed portion burnished the amalgam immediately with a large football burnisher using heavy strokes me zo distally and Facial lingually to make sure the marginal amalgam is well condensed before carving start carving with a sharp Clio discoid instrument use a larger Clio discoid first followed by a smaller one in regions not accessible to the larger instrument all carving should be done with the edge of the blade perpendicular to the margins as the instrument is moved parallel to the margins the part of the edge of the carving blade should rest on the unprepared tooth surface adjacent to the cavity margin this prevents over carving be careful not to carve deep occlusal grooves which will weaken the restoration during the carving procedure try to visualize what the final restoration should look like use a mirror to assess your progress while establishing proper Anatomy use the Clio end of your Clio discoid to define the primary grooves pits and cusps on inclines if your amalgam outline is larger than what the final outline should look like you will need to continue carving try to create contours and occlusion that reproduce the missing tooth structure the mesial and distal fossa should be slightly deeper than the proximal marginal ridges when you've finished carving smooth the surface by wiping with a small damp ball of cotton you can use a small burnisher to rub the surface lightly to improve smoothness when you evaluate the final restoration make sure the surface is smooth free of any irregularities or scratches and the margins are even check to make sure the contours and occlusion are correct the final anatomy of the restoration should be patterned after normal occlusal contours you