William Richard Cann, a well-respected dentist, always demonstrated that he genuinely cared about the future of the medical profession in Bermuda.

Dr Cann, who provided dental care to residents for decades, was a longstanding head of the Bermuda Dental Board, which regulated the practice for the Ministry of Health. It could, at times, prove controversial in a select industry where appointments of overseas practitioners could come up for dispute.

In 2009, Dr Cann denied that the island faced major delays to see a dentist.

A retired dentist had suggested that there was a shortage of practitioners on the island.

At the time, people complained that they were forced to wait several months to see their dentist unless dealing with an emergency.

Dr Cann had weathered a difficult time for the board over that decade through legal disputes over who got to practise on the island.

The board was responsible for licensing and examining qualified dentists, hygienists and technicians, but was occasionally at loggerheads with other industry bodies and members of the profession, particularly when it came to non-Bermudians practising on the island.

Through it all, Dr Cann was known among patients for bringing a gentle touch — to a job many clients viewed with trepidation.

William Richard Dean Cann, dentist, was born on February 28, 1952. He died in July 2026, aged 74