1922–2014

John Davis passed away on 6th October 2014 aged 92. As well as building and running J&S Davis, he was involved in the British Dental Trade Association (BDTA), BDA, founder of Cordent Dental Trust (CDT) and co-founder then president of British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF).

John was born just as his father Solly, Uncle Joe and their friend Mark Schottlander established Davis Schottlander & Davis, building from the J&S Davis dental business started in 1908.

John's dental career started in 1940 but was short-lived as he enlisted in the RAF almost immediately. John flew Hurricanes and Spitfires with 152 Squadron. He was in West Africa for four years, flying the then secret Takoradi route to get fighter aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean. In 1946 Flight Lieutenant Davis was demobbed and he returned to the family business. In 1953 John restarted J&S Davis which he built into a successful company.

John was instrumental in developing many dental concepts that are taken for granted today, such as the first effective turbine handpiece (Sandri) and disposable products (in 1967 the Solo sterile, disposable needle was launched). At a time of water boilers, he introduced first Electrolux dry heat sterilisers then Melag autoclaves.

He was twice President of BDTA (1966–1967 and 1984–1986). He co-wrote the 'Introduction to Dentistry' training course, the basis for what is still used for dental industry training.

Recognition came with Roll of Honour of both the BDTA and BDA, the Probe Lifetime Achievement Award and Fellowship of the International College of Dentists. The charity CDT was then born, funded initially by J&S Davis. It supported hundreds of projects by bringing together leading dental clinicians, academics and senior dental industry people. Cordent did much work in the third-world countries where dental care and knowledge was almost non-existent. Projects included equipping a dental health train in South Africa.

In the early 1970s, John, with a few other enthusiastic dental traders and dentists, brought the BDHF into existence. Its purpose was to educate the public on oral health issues.

The difficult economy of the 1980s forced him to sell in 1991. In 2012 his son Daniel bought J&S Davis back.

As an active member of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen (AJEX), he marched annually at the Cenotaph, sold poppies and attended local schools to give talks on his flying experiences.

Married in 1948 to Hilde who pre-deceased him, John is survived by Daniel, Susan and grandchildren David, Rachel, Joanna and Oliver.