Editorial

In the last few years the use of dental implants has completely changed the field of dental therapy. A new era began with the crucial P.I. Brånemark studies which produced scientific evidence of osseointegration covering a period of more than 10 years. This duration could be considered as normal, but an exception in a world where it is increasingly paramount to turn around publications fast. As soon as this osseointegration process was valid, oral implantology became a new technique that some of us adopted with caution and enthusiasm.

The authors of this special issue belong to this category of clinicians. Due to the lack of scientific evidence, oral implant therapy has few users until now. These clinicians were among the first to be convinced, on reading the published studies that teeth could be replaced by dental implants. I would like to thank them as well as those who were involved in the previous special issue on risk factors in periodontology.

In view of the scientific literature available, it was quite easy to determine these risk factors. But in fact, as stressed by Mariano Sanz and Daniel Etienne, risk factors in oral implantology are very difficult to assess. This can be explained by two major factors : (1) the risk is low (fortunately !) and (2) the scientific community is still discussing the aetiology of implant failure. Thus, clinical experience appears to take precedence over scientific evidence.

This is why this special issue had to be written by experienced clinicians. I am convinced their articles will answer the readers questions, as we await more up-to-date informations from prospective studies, clearly indicating the type of patients who are not candidates for oral implant therapy.

(1) the risk is low (fortunately !) and (2) the scientific community is still discussing the aetiology of implant failure. Thus,clinical experience appears to take precedence over scientific evidence.