I have known Anthony Kravitz for fifty years, as we were in the same year at dental school. When we qualified in 1966 he was just 21 years old. He was in general practice in Greater Manchester from 1967, as an associate and then as a practice owner until August 2005.
He was mainly part time as he juggled his practice with his considerable involvement in dental politics. He now lives in London and continues to practise, albeit privately, on a very part-time basis. Tony began his career in dental politics in 1968 when he joined the Manchester LDC becoming the LDC representative on the Executive Council (later known as the PCT) in 1974 and at the same time he was also appointed to “The Dental Service Committee” which was the local disciplinary body.
By 1984 he had been elected chairman, a position he held until he resigned in 1992 after becoming vice chairman of the BDA’ General Dental Services Committee (GDSC). Tony was very active in the LDC annual conferences, presenting a number of motions throughout his tenure, and such was his standing that he was elected chairman of the conference in 1989. He was elected to the GDSC and the BDA Representative Board in 1982 becoming a member of the executive in 1984 and the BDA Council in 1985.
From 1997 until 2003 he was Chairman of the BDA’s General Dental Services Committee (GDSC) and was the chief negotiator for the UK’s (then 23,000) NHS GDPs. He has also chaired several other BDA committees, including the Auxiliaries’ and Formulary Committees. Tony was President of the British Dental Association (BDA) in 2004 to 2005. He is a former Chairman of the EU Dental Committee’s Ethics and Quality Assurance and Dental Auxiliaries’ Groups. From December 2003 to April 2013, he was the Treasurer of the Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA). In 2014 he was made the President elect and will be installed as President in Manchester in May.
He has lectured in many countries and he has represented both the BDA and the CDA at several overseas meetings. In 2005 he completed a Master’s degree (MPhil) at the University of Wales in Cardiff. His subject matter was in relation to the use of dental auxiliaries in dentistry. In 2009 he was awarded the Fellowship of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (by examination) and, in 2011, the Fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (by election), both at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
He is the principal author of the EU Manual of Dental Practice (2014), which is an encyclopaedia of the management and regulation of dentistry across Europe. Following his first edition in 2004, he has acted as an adviser from time to time, to the European Commission and various governments and regulatory bodies across the EU. He subsequently completed two further editions in 2008 and 2009. He is currently one of the GDC Fitness to Practise Panel’s longest serving Chairs.
Since 2010 he has been the Honorary Financial Director of a charity. He is a trustee of another charity and is also a trustee of the British Dental Guild, a not-for-profit organisation. Married since 1971, he has 3 children and 10 grandchildren. He was awarded the OBE in December 2002 for services to NHS dentistry. Tony is one of those members who selflessly devoted his talents to improving the lot of the dental profession and who deserves our thanks.
Pip Thomas