Gingival retraction is defined as the deflection of marginal gingiva away from a tooth. Tremendous progress has been made in procedures for making fixed prosthodontic impressions over the past few decades. A common objective for impressions and interim crowns or fixed dental prostheses is to register the prepared abutments and finish lines accurately. For all impression procedures, the gingival tissue must be displaced to allow the subgingival finish lines to be registered. Fixed dental prosthesis success requires appropriate impression making of the prepared finish line. This is critical in either tooth supported fixed prosthesis (crown and bridge) or implant supported fixed prosthesis (solid abutment). If the prepared finish line is adjacent to the gingival sulcus, gingival retraction techniques should be used to decrease the marginal discrepancy among the restoration and the prepared abutment. Accurate marginal positioning of the restoration in the prepared finish line of the abutment is required for therapeutic, preventive and aesthetic purposes. In this article, conventional and modern methods of gingival retraction in the fixed tooth supported prosthesis and fixed implant supported prosthesis are expressed. Key words: Gingival retraction, Prosthodontics