Sir, it was a delight to be reminded by Douglas Pike about the copious work he undertook in the early 1990s, to enable dentists to use the courtesy title of 'Doctor' if they wish.1

In the article, he refers to the organisations that did and do continue to decline to address dentists as Doctor. However, upon my election as Chairman of the BDA's General Dental Services Committee in January 1997, I received a congratulatory letter from the then Secretary of State for Health: it was addressed to Mr Anthony Kravitz. In my reply I politely requested that I was referred to as Doctor in future correspondence, and from that time all correspondence from the Department of Health was addressed to me as Doctor.

Douglas also refers to the interest from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). As a consequence of a press release in my local press, bearing my name and title, the ASA wrote to me, and ordered me to desist from using the title, otherwise 'action against you will be taken'. I advised them that I did not advertise so they had no authority over my use of the title and that the General Dental Council were the only body to have such authority. I did not hear again from the ASA.