No single implant system is applicable to all clinical problems which may be treated with implants. Clinicians who wish to develop expertise in the field of dental implantology should decide which clinical situations they wish to treat with implants and then receive an appropriate level of instruction in the use of systems which have been shown, in refereed literature, to be successful in the treatment of such problems. The Tübingen implant system has been in clinical use for more than 13 years, following preliminary basic research and animal studies, and is supported by an extensive literature. It is applicable primarily to the immediate or delayed replacement of individual teeth which are subsequently to be restored with a post crown. It may also be used in other situations, such as in combination with bridge restorations. This is the first of two papers which describe in detail the range of applications, patient selection and assessment, and the surgical and restorative techniques involved in its use.