In this retrospective study reviewing 30 months of treatment, 53 kpartially or completely edentulous patients were provided with implant-supported restorations. The restorative aspects of the therapy were undertaken by an experienced prosthodontist who had just begun involvement with implant rebahilitation techniques. Patients were treated in two centres, 21 in a major teaching institution (Group A) and 32 in a private practice (Group B). In Group A, the implants were placed by experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeons just beginning involvement in implant techniques. Teh implants of the Group B patients were placed by surgeons with a minimum of 2 years implant experience. It appeared that the surgeon's experience had a major impact on the failure probability of unloaded implants. Loading conditions and the design of the prosthesis may be the decisive determinants for the probability of success with loaded implants. The hazards of extensive cantilevered extensions were demonstrated. The results suggest that those entering implant prosthodontics should not expect their early work to match the results obtained from established centres.