Dr Harold Boyd's 1954 Presidential Address to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, observed: “Modern transportation and communication have contracted the world until all nations are neighbors. To promote peace and to live to the best advantage of all, we should know and understand each other. . . . This is particularly true of those engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery. We speak an international language as no other group can. Anatomy, physiological response to trauma or disease, and psychological reactions of patients are little influenced by race or place of residence.”1
This observation is as true for implant dentistry today as it was 66 years ago for orthopedic surgery. Whenever we read an issue of JOI, we see how interconnected and interdependent all implant dentists are, regardless of their country of practice. JOI publishes research papers and clinical case reports written by authors from around the world, as do all implant-specific journals. All readers, regardless of where they reside, learn from these articles. Published research discoveries in peer reviewed journals originating from parts of the world other than our own can inspire all clinicians, and perhaps offer better ways to provide improved patient care worldwide.1 Some countries do not have access to the products found in other countries because of regulations on human donor materials. An example would be allografts that are available in the United States, but not in Japan. Clinicians faced with different choices do not necessarily deliver inferior treatments, but rather different treatments that may end up with comparable results. We should, at a minimum, be familiar with how others make treatments work using different materials or techniques.
In the most recent issue of JOI, manuscripts originated from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi-Arabia, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.2–9 This mixture of articles can be found in most dental journals. Just as importantly, JOI is read by researchers and clinicians worldwide. The American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI/ID) now permits international clinicians to become Board Certified. This reinforces how the principles used in practicing implant dentistry are becoming universal.
Patients throughout the world suffer from tooth loss and have a need for dental implant treatments. Clinicians and researchers, regardless of location, offer innovations that when subject to peer review may become the next “new best thing” for patient care. Clinicians must continue to speak the international language of implant dentistry so they can share knowledge and skills worldwide. This has become more important and relevant today than ever before. The current COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions may have reduced our abilities to attend international conferences, but we can still learn from our international colleagues through JOI.
