Dr J. Anthony von Fraunhofer is Professor Emeritus at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery Dental School, University of Maryland and formerly was Professor and Director of Biomaterials Science in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery He has an honors degree (BSc) in chemistry and an MSc and PhD in metallurgy as well as having Chartered Scientist, Chartered Chemist and Chartered Engineer designations from the Science Council of the United Kingdom. Dr von Fraunhofer also holds Fellowships in the Academy of Dental Materials, ASM International, the Institute of Corrosion and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr. von Fraunhofer started his career in industry in the United Kingdom and then joined the Institute of Dental Surgery, University of London as a faculty member, progressing to the Chair of the Department of Biomaterials Science. He was recruited to the School of Dentistry, University of Louisville as Professor of Biomaterials Science in 1978 and remained there until 1994 when he joined the Faculty at the School of Dentistry, University of Maryland Baltimore as Professor and Director of Biomaterials Science. Dr. von Fraunhofer has mentored 14 Ph.D. and over 120 M.S. degree candidates during his career and has written over 390 scientific papers, 11 books, and contributed chapters to 12 monographs on dental biomaterials and materials science. His particular fields of interest and research activity are biomechanics and the biomechanical properties of materials used in medicine and dentistry, dental cutting, suture materials, wound closure devices and wound healing; the degradation, wear and corrosion of materials in the biosystem and the corrosion and corrosion protection of metals by organic and metallic coatings. He has made over 140 presentations of his research at National and International scientific meetings and has lectured and presented courses at Universities in the United States, England, Continental Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.