The state-of-the-art overviews provided by the contributors who have found time in their busy schedules to respond to the request are gratefully acknowledged.

This Supplement is an important resource of biologically-based information and represents a commitment by the Editorial Board to advance the art and science of the practice of dentistry. It recognizes the extent to which oral rehabilitation now embraces biology.^1,2 However, the translational link between science-based data and clinical treatment application continues to require cautious interpretation.^3,4 Recognition of the need for rigorous clinical studies in response to encouraging data on biological science research remains a clinical responsibility.

This Supplement acknowledges the current status of dental practice with increasing interest from the community, the profession and the dental industry for oral implants.

It recognizes the important requirements for optimizing long-term outcomes with careful case selection and the often complex considerations required in the systematic planning of oral implant treatments.

The progressive interest in the clinical application of biologically-based oral implant care requires appropriate training for clinicians. Initially, this involved specialists (oral surgeons or periodontists and prosthodontists) for planning and treatment implementation. This collaboration emphasized the advantages of shared decision-making to optimize planning and treatment outcomes, particularly with complex rehabilitation. The involvement of general practitioners has followed.

The access of new graduates to dental practice immediately on graduation acknowledges the responsibility of dental schools to provide structured and integrated undergraduate programmes on oral implants as an integral part of prosthodontic and surgical coursework. The need for continuing professional education orientation and university qualification courses is an ever-increasing need.

The dental industry has continued to support the profession with a variety of implant programmes to encourage practitioner interest. Dental schools have varied in their response to this requirement, however oral implant treatment needs to be recognized as a mainstream educational responsibility at all levels of dental education.

It is hoped that this Supplement will be a stimulus for continuing the emphasis on evidence-based education, with recognition of critical reviews and state-of-the-art summaries, carefully designed clinical trials and translational research, published in refereed journals. The latter provide the best opportunity of peer-reviewed scrutiny of validated data, and should be accepted as the most appropriate guide for clinical practice.