A method for making an inverted digital file of digital surface map data and the fabrication of a dental restoration model mold that includes elements of digital scanning of either an impression taken of a patients teeth, a model fabricated from casting or otherwise replicating the patient restoration and adjacent teeth impression, or the manipulation of a digital scan data file of the patient restoration and adjacent sites. The digital data is manipulated by inverting the data contained in the file to precisely create the inverse image of the digital data to render a shell that exactly replicates the surface topography of the restoration site in an inverted manner. A mold fabricated from this inverted data does not require separation, disassembly or distortion to release the positive model cast from the mold.
