Temple University KORNBERG SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY To Dedicate David A. Bresler Student Life Center and Cavity Busters Cafeteria Honoring the Memory of Beloved Philadelphia Pediatric Dentist
PHILADELPHIA, PA September 13, 2021 On Friday, September 17, Temple University will host a dedication event to honor one of its most successful alumni and a treasured Philadelphia legend, Dr. David A. Bresler. A 1979 graduate of the Temple dental school, and the founder of Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters, a large multi-location pediatric dental practice, Dr. Bresler served as a pediatric dentist to generations of Philadelphia children. He was also an influential educator and a member of Temple’s faculty. Dr. Bresler died in 2015.
The David A. Bresler Student Life Center has become a social and educational hub for students at the dental school. Dr. Bresler’s three children are also Temple Dental graduates – Joshua Bresler, DMD ’03, Jason Bresler, DMD ’06, and Rachel Bresler, DMD ’14 – and they each continue their father’s legacy in their leadership of the Cavity Busters practice, and service to Temple.
Each year, Temple Dental relies on gifts from alumni and friends to ensure its continued success. Each gift, regardless of the amount, has a significant impact on each student, and the future of the school and the dental profession. In recent years, the School has received a combined total of $5 million in major gifts. These donors will also be honored at the dedication ceremony:
- Jorge Blanco, a 2002 graduate, and Dr. Rauda Jamis immigrated from Cuba with no funds or resources. Dr. Blanco and his two sons (and now, granddaughter) all received their dental education at Temple Dental. They operate 14 dental practices in Miami. Their gift supports a new technology-equipped lecture room/classroom for advanced group learning opportunities.
- Bhaskar and Niranjan Savani, 1995 and 1996 graduates, respectively, immigrated to the United States from India to study at Temple Dental. After graduation, they developed a large multi-state network of dental practices, as well as operating a large mango farm in India. Their efforts in India include supporting sustainable farming practices to preserve the habitat and future of Asiatic lions. Their gift to Temple Dental supports a new technology-equipped lecture room/classroom for advanced group learning opportunities.
- Larry Stone, a devoted 1973 alumnus, focused his major gift to developing ethical understanding among dental professionals, supporting an annual symposium and lecture series on practical ethics.
- Reem Shafi, a 1998 graduate, has been committed to serving Temple Dental as a member of the Board of Visitors, and a former president of the alumni association. After graduation, she established and now owns more than 15 dental practices. Her son is a 2021 graduate of the dental school, and a current resident in the periodontology and implantology graduate program. Her gift supports Temple Dental’s digital dentistry training lab.
- Cary Kliman, Class of 1966, supports research at Temple Dental. A solo practitioner in the outskirts of Washington, D.C., he has established the Cary Kliman Research Program in Oral Health Sciences.
- Kim Ly Van immigrated from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. After working in different jobs, he enrolled in Temple Dental and sustained himself by working as a dishwasher in local restaurants and as an overnight aid in nursing homes. After graduating from Temple Dental in 1990, he moved to New York City where opened a practice in Chinatown. He is highly regarded by the New York Police Department for his care of first responders after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack. His gift supports a conference room in the Bresler Student Life Center.
- Faculty members Jo Ann Nyquist, Hana Hasson, and Amid Ismail contributed to building the advanced David S. Bresler Dental Student Life Center. Nyquist contributed to a yoga room, and Drs. Ismail and Hasson supported a conference room.
“These alumni have elected to support Temple Dental with major gifts because they have witnessed the significant positive changes in the culture and programs of their dental school,” says Dean Ismail. “The alumni are responding because their aspirations are being met.”
The dedication program will be held from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, at the School of Dentistry, 3223 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia. Temple’s new president, Dr. Jason Wingard, is scheduled to attend and speak at the morning ceremony.
About Temple Dental
Since its founding 158 years ago, Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry has achieved a reputation for clinical and educational excellence and is recognized nationally and internationally. Its general and specialist dental clinics treat thousands of patients each year from the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area, Delaware, and New Jersey. Its dental students and residents are inspired to become caring healthcare practitioners, proactive public health advocates, inquisitive lifelong learners, and innovative leaders.
About Temple University
Temple University is a center of excellence in teaching and research, with an international presence and a commitment to community.
Our talented faculty lead more than 600 academic programs across 17 schools and colleges, and on campuses and partnerships that span the globe, from Rome to Japan. While retaining our attention to the great city of Philadelphia that is our home, Temple draws students from the region, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States, and around the world.
Today, more than 37,000 dynamic and diverse students call Temple their educational home. Temple is among the nation’s largest educators in the combined fields of dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, and podiatry. The university’s extraordinary faculty offer world-class teaching and experiences, while our researchers are engaged in solving the most difficult issues that we face today, from eliminating HIV/AIDS to helping communities deal with the impact of climate change.
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