Establishing the gingival emergence profile of restorations by using a resilient gingival replica.

All references to gingival morphology are destroyed once the die is trimmed during construction of crowns, onlays, or veneers. The need for reconstruction of a gingival replica to assist in the reproduction of a restoration's gingival contour and emergence profile is discussed. A simple, practical approach to duplicate the natural sulcus and free gingival morphology with currently available materials is presented. The advantages and limitations of implementing this technique and its multiple uses in prosthodontic and implant reconstructions and implant cases are presented.