''The key to contemporary restorative dentistry is the fabrication of healthy, maintainable, aesthetic, and functional prostheses.''! I believe that a truer statement could not be said concerning the field of restorative dentistry. How do we get from the beginning to the end of the journey? That is the real clinical challenge. We can all remember our first alginate impression in dental school. The first hurtle to overcome was getting the material from the bowl, to the tray, to the mouth without it ''setting up'' too soon. The next challenge was preventing our partner from gagging due to an overloaded tray. After that the tray had to be removed without tearing the impression to pieces. The final hurtle was now routine.