THE President of the British Dental Association is getting his teeth into a new role.

Dr Anthony Kravitz has joined Bury Primary Care Trust's professional executive committee.

As a co-opted member of the body, Dr Kravitz, who lives in Prestwich, will help to develop dental services in the borough.

He will be working alongside other members of the PEC which is made up of GPs, nurses, therapists and other professionals in local health care.

Dr Kravitz graduated from the University of Manchester in 1966.

He has been a member of the BDA 's representative body since 1982 and from 1988 to 1994 he was chairman of the BDA's dental auxiliaries committee.

He was also an active member of the BDA international affairs committee for more than 14 years and attended numerous overseas meetings representing the BDA.

Dr Kravitz is the honorary treasurer of the Commonwealth Dental Association, as well as honorary research fellow at the University of Wales College of Medicine, where he became the principal author of the new European Union Manual of Dental Practice. He was awarded the OBE in 2002.

Dr Derek Fletcher, PEC chairman, said: "We are delighted to welcome Anthony. We are lucky to have such a high profile dental representative in Bury. Anthony will contribute the expertise that he has gained throughout his career and this will be of real benefit to patients within the borough."

Dr Kravitz said: "Healthy teeth and mouths are a vital part of people's general health and well-being. As the PCT prepares to take on responsibility for organising dental care in Bury in 2005, I look forward to bringing my knowledge of the local community and wide experience of dental issues to this new role."