Remembering Dr Tom Bereznicki
Dr Tom Bereznicki sadly passed away peacefully on 17 October 2026. Tom had been unwell for a long time and had fought his illness valiantly. Tom was born in London on 3rd January 1952, the son of Polish parents who moved to the UK after World War II. He received his secondary education at Hutcheson’s Grammar School in Glasgow, where his parents moved to enable Tom’s father to progress his career. Having graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1976, Tom, who was a talented rugby player and subsequently golfer and a keen cyclist, spent over forty years as a highly regarded general dental practitioner. During his last ten years in clinical practice (2013-2022), Tom was a part-time specialist clinical teacher at King’s College London Dental Institute.
On moving to London, Tom initially worked as a house surgeon at Guy's and the Royal Dental Hospitals. He subsequently established his own practice in Queensgate, and later worked in Wimpole Street where he developed a special interest in Restorative Dentistry, with a particular focus on occlusion.
While working as a specialist clinical teacher, Tom was appointed Extracurricular Education Coordination Officer for the King’s College of London Dental Students Society. In 2017, Tom was elected Staff President of the Students Society and was re-elected for a second term of office in 2019, after which he served as the Immediate Past-President. However, he was to be elected as Staff President again, for an unprecedented third time, in 2021, while serving as a member of the King's Dental Alumni Association Council. Thereafter, Tom – ‘Dr Tom’ as he was fondly referred to by the students – served as Co-President of the King’s Aesthetic Dental Student Society (ADDS), organising speakers and delivering hands-on courses for members, finally retiring from this role in 2023. Nominated by students in 2018, Tom was awarded one of King’s College London's Teaching Excellence Awards, and in 2019 he was the recipient of a prestigious King’s Education Award in Student Support.
Tom was an avid supporter of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and the Faculty of Dental Trainers at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Tom served on the Advisory Board in Primary Dental Care from 2017-2021, and from 2017-2022 he was a member of the Executive and Steering Group of the Faculty of Dental Trainers, becoming a Member of the Faculty of Dental Trainers (MFDTFEd) in 2018. Tom’s status within the profession was recognised by membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners in 2018, and subsequently as a founding Fellow of the College of General Dentistry.
Tom published a series of articles on various aspects of restorative dentistry throughout his career and was also a judge for the Scottish Dental Awards and the Future of Dentistry Awards. Tom joined the Academy of Dental Excellence Faculty as a Senior Specialist Faculty Teacher in 2021, subsequently becoming a Partner Associate Lecturer delivering the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Aesthetic and Restorative Dentistry at the University of Portsmouth. In 2023, Tom joined the teaching faculty for the King's College London MSc in Aesthetic Dentistry.
Tom’s lecturing talents were well-known. He was a regional speaker for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry on the topic of occlusion and regularly presented at - amongst other events - various British Dental Association and study club meetings throughout the UK. Further afield, Tom was also invited to present internationally, including at the Medical University of Warsaw in Poland where, thanks to his parents and his early upbringing in a Polish community in London, he was able to lecture in Polish.
Throughout his career, Tom was dedicated to mentoring young dentists. He set up The Tom Bereznicki Charitable Educational Foundation. This supports amongst other patronages, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s Tom Bereznicki Dental Education Grants, which assists dental Affiliates, Members or Fellows of the College. Furthermore, Tom gave his personal support to the College’s hugely successful UK and Ireland undergraduate dental clinical skills competition, sponsoring the prize and attending the competition each year. Tom revelled in the enthusiasm shown by the competition finalists and, each year, would encourage the best talent to pursue their hopes and aspirations.
Tom, a great traveller and enthusiast for good food and fine wine, enjoyed experiencing different cultures and was also a lover of sport, jazz and his cat. He continued to support The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh until his death, and it was fitting that he was awarded a Fellowship in Dental Surgery Ad Hominem in 2024 for his lasting impact on dentistry and his contribution to the College.
Tom's warmth, humour and passion for dentistry will be greatly missed, and his influence will live on through the opportunities he funded and created for future generations of dentists affiliated with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
