For most people, the designation Swedish is likely to conjure up immediate word associations. Alfred Nobel's dynamite and his prizes come to mind; or Ikea and Ingmar Bergman movies; and of course Volvos and Saabs in spite of General Motors and Ford involvement. However, if you are a prosthodontist or in another specialty that does preprosthetic surgery, the name which comes to mind is Per-Ingvar Brånemark's. The genesis of osseointegration and its early nurturing are the results of his pioneering research activities, which have dramatically revolutionized the treatment of complete and partial edentulism as well as the management of maxillofacial deficits.