ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express sincere gratitude to my parents, Omar Al-Faraje and Nadia Al-Rifai, for their extraordinary sacrifices for too many years. Thank you for your unconditional love and support.

Also to my wife Rana, my lifelong companion and “book widow.” Her support was invaluable as I was hunched over my computer, sometimes for 12 hours a day. And to our children—Nadia, Omar, and Tim—who contributed immensely to this book by sacrificing their precious time with “Papa.”

In addition, I would like to thank my teachers at each of the medical institutions I attended. I was indeed fortunate to have had outstanding anatomical, clinical, and surgical training at the medical institutes in Russia, the Ukraine, and the United States.

Three special individuals have profoundly influenced my career:

Dr Nizar Al-Tair, my dental mentor, who spent countless hours challenging my knowledge and skills to deliver excellence and to be my best.

Dr Igor Persidsky, who taught me how to connect patients’ medical problems with their dental needs and to think like a dental surgeon with internal medicine in mind. I treasure our years of friendship.

Dr Dewhirst Floyd, who gave me a helping hand and believed in me. This book would not have seen the light without his support during my early years in the dental field.

Finally, I would like to thank all of my students at the California Implant Institute. It is always a pleasure and an honor to share with you my knowledge and expertise in implant dentistry. For the last few years, my greatest professional joy has been interacting with my students and colleagues at the California Implant Institute.

I also would like to express my gratitude to Dr Christopher Church and Dr James Rutkowski for their contributions to this textbook.

Special thanks to Lisa Bywaters and her editorial team at Quintessence Publishing Company. Their tremendous support throughout the project allowed the creation of this modern, easy-to-consult textbook.