1946-2023

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Ralph Davies qualified BDS from the University of Sheffield in 1969 and as a student was a dedicated member of the Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron amassing many flying hours and developing a lifelong love of flying.

Ralph spent his early practising years in Nottingham before taking on a partnership in the mining town of Sutton in Ashfield where he remained for his clinical career. Ralph was a strong believer in NHS dentistry and the profession of dentistry, working not just at the practice level for the local people for whom he cared deeply but also extensively representing the profession both locally and nationally. He was a passionate advocate for general dental practice and was proud to be a dentist at 'the coal face' both literally and metaphorically. The practice grew substantially and was an early training practice for dental vocational training (VT). Ralph remained highly committed to VT, not just as a long-standing trainer but also leading the local training scheme and latterly as Chair of the Dental Vocational Training Authority nationally. Throughout his involvement with VT, he lectured on schemes nationally and found great joy in supporting young dentists in their early years.

Ralph also developed deep expertise in NHS pensions for both dentists and doctors, and became a nationally recognised expert on the subject. He was deeply involved locally with the BDA (for the East Midlands Branch of which he was a past president) and the Nottinghamshire LDCs (as a past chair) and with dental politics and leadership nationally, ultimately becoming Chair of the BDA Representative Body. He was delighted to be awarded an honorary BDA Life Fellowship in 2006 in recognition of his years of service to the profession.

After retiring from clinical dentistry, Ralph became an advisor to the National Clinical Assessment Service - a role he found highly rewarding in supporting medical and dental colleagues in difficulty.

Father to three boys (with one following him into the profession) and survived by his wife Anna, Ralph sadly passed away peacefully in his sleep on his 77th birthday.

Ralph was a dentist to the end - always interested in the profession and in particular dental politics. He is remembered as always keen and happy to give his time, energy and experience in support of colleagues and friends in any way he could.

Ben Davies