One of the main concerns of dental research is the observation of the oral tissues and the materials applied to the dentition. The changes in composition and structure of the outer surfaces and the materials deposited on these surfaces are of special interest. A variety of replica techniques for these purposes is described in the literature. The use of these techniques is limited because of artifacts in the samples and a restricted resolution power resulting from useful magnifications in the order of 800 .times.. An accurate and universal replica technique for the examination of [human] specimens to be viewed under the SEM (scanning electron microscope) was developed. The first impression is made by a light body silicone elastomer (President). The positive replica is made by electrodeposition of Cu in an electroplating bath. The reliability and accuracy of this replica technique was verified by a SEM comparison of the replicas and the actual structures of etched enamel. To illustrate the applicability of the replica technique to structures with much lower hardness, high resolution images of dental plaque also were produced. The Cu surface offers a perfect, original and proper electroconductive medium that withstands the bombardment of electrons and the relatively severe conditions in the SEM. Reproducibility was accurate as judged by the duplication in position, size and shape of the fine detail at magnifications of 7500 .times. offering a resolution of 25 nm.