As placement of functionally stable dental implants has become routine, concerns have shifted to maintenance of crestal bone and soft tissue stability. This article proposes the development of a tissue preservation philosophy to avoid crestal bone loss and gingival recession and thus foster long-term esthetics around implants. Pillars of this philosophy must include avoidance or minimization of an implant-abutment microgap and micromovement, use of platform switching, appropriate implant positioning relative to the bone crest, and preservation of the papillae when placing both single and multiple implants.