Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters: A Tribute

Last weekend, a famous Philadelphian died. He was a dentist. But David Bresler — of Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters fame — was definitely famous locally. Those ads are everywhere. Even at the Phillies game, you run into ads for his pediatric dentistry chain. And look how cool it seems!

I guess this is the part of my article where I publicly shame my parents for not taking me to Doc Bresler’s. I went to some dentist with a Ms. Pac-Man machine in the waiting room, but that was about it. But Bresler’s place is bumpin’.

Bresler, 61, died of complications from surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center. (Per the Inquirer obit, he also “had an extensive collection of beer memorabilia, ‘which is ironic since he never had a beer in his life,’ his family said.”) And I knew Doc Bresler despite never seeing him, and that’s because of his infomercial. I don’t remember where it aired — Channel 48, probably — but his ad is up there in the great pantheon of awesome Philly infomercials along with TNT Amusements and Club Risqué.

The full infomercial — of which I only have hazy memories of anyway — isn’t on YouTube. But Doc Bresler’s YouTube page has a treasure trove of short clips, and I’d like to share some below.

Seriously, this is like a muppet Jim Henson rejected for being too creepy.

Yes, this place is called Brushieland. I am definitely disappointed that I never went.

I like that Buster is called Doc Bresler’s “old pal” in the description of this YouTube video.

His sons Joshua and Jason are also dentists at the multi-location practice, so Doc Bresler’s Cavity Busters will survive.

It seems silly: It was just an infomercial I have vague memories of from my childhood. But any Philadelphian who watches TV probably has the same memories of those ads. It’s a shared experience many of us have. Local TV ads are great. This was one of the best. RIP, Doc Bresler.