An increasing number of dental practitioners are considering dental implants in the treatment of their patients. The range of applications, protocol variations, the complexity of implant systems and related management have all increased dramatically over the last decade, and this may be bewildering to the newcomer to implant dentistry. This pioneering text from a team at the Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospital dental schools considers the main implant systems for various clinical indications in an unbiased fashion, indicating their potential advantages and disadvantages.