Listen up!
Communicating the Oral/Systemic Connection
D
onning a glittering silver jacket and pant set,
bright blue sunglasses, and wielding an over-
sized toothbrush bearing his name, Dr. Chris
Kammer kicked off day 2 of Xlear’s 3rd Educational
Conference on Xylitol with a riveting opening number.
Calling it a “love song about a toothbrush,” Dr.
Kammer performed an ode to brushing while audience
members illuminated the room with the swaying of
light-up toothbrushes.
Attention Please
“It’s all about getting your attention,” said Dr. Kam-
mer. The second of 3 half-day seminars, Dr. Kammer’s
opening lecture focused on the need to communicate
with the public about the oral/systemic connection and
the benefits of xylitol for both oral and overall body
health.
“The media is picking up on the oral/systemic con-
nection,” said Dr. Kammer, adding, “infections in the
mouth are killing people.” However, the communi-
cation of this message is still falling short, according
to Dr. Kammer. In his lecture, Dr. Kammer said that
he has seen several cases in which patients are told to
floss more, but are not told that they have gum dis-
ease. “That’s a problem,” said Dr. Kammer, citing some
striking statistics in his presentation:
• Eigthy percent of the population has or has had gum
disease.
• More than 90% of patients with existing gum dis-
ease go untreated.
Call to Action
In his lecture, Dr. Kammer said that 90% of patients
get prophies; however, he added that if the disease is
already present, dental professionals should not provide
a prophy. Expressing his sentiments through an audio
clip from the film, Network, Dr. Kammer played the
following: “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take
this anymore!” Entertaining, yes, but this clip was more
than an attention grabber, it was a call to action and
Dr. Kammer continued to prompt the audience to take
action saying, “Let’s do something about it.”
Doing Something About It
In 2011, Dr. Kammer founded the American Acad-
emy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH) as a way to
educate the public, media, and health professionals on
the connection between oral health and overall body
health. “Dentistry has always been a quiet profession,”
said Dr. Kammer. One of the ways that Dr. Kammer
and the AAOSH are calling attention to the oral/sys-
temic connection is through the distribution of press
releases that educate the public and the media on this
connection. “We need to take gum disease as serious as
a heart attack,” he said. According to Dr. Kammer, the
foundation is currently in the process of defining what
requirements are necessary to join AAOSH. One of the
proposed measures would be to require professionals
to demonstrate a working knowledge of the benefits of
xylitol to become AAOSH certified.
Photo credit: Shirley Gutkowski
Dr. Chris Kammer opened the day’s lectures with an ode to brushing.
Dental Learning
Photo credit: Shirley Gutkowski
Audience members swayed light-up toothbrushes during Dr. Chris Kam-
mer’s performance.
Sweet Treats
Another way that Dr. Kammer is hoping to raise
awareness about oral health is through the Halloween
Candy Buy Back program—a unique initiative that al-
lows dentists to buy back children’s unwanted Halloween
candy. In his lecture, Dr. Kammer suggested that partici-
pating offices trade toothbrushes, dental check-ups, or
cleanings in exchange for unwanted candy. The candy is
then donated to military troops overseas.
During the Q&A panel, an audience member asked
Dr. Kammer about the potential negative oral health
problems that the troops could experience as a result of
the consumption of these donated candies. Dr. Kammer
said that these sweet treats are a well-deserved indul-
gence for the troops and he hopes to see the day when
candy is made with 100% xylitol.
Celebrity Dentist
One of the most theatrical presenters at Xlear’s
conference, Dr. Kammer cited the need for a celebrity
within the dental industry to communicate the connec-
tion between oral health and overall body health. “The
power of the celebrity can help us all win the battle
against oral disease,” said Dr. Kammer. But the ques-
tion he posed about who that celebrity might be cur-
rently remains unanswered.
Perhaps dentistry may find its most worthy celebrity
dentist candidate in Dr. Kammer. Judging by his tooth-
brush rap on American Idol’s Milwaukee auditions,
Dr. Kammer is certainly not camera shy. For Dr. Kam-
mer, the American Idol audition and interviews were a
chance to spread his message, during which he said to
the camera, “There’s a connection between the mouth
health and the body health.”
Battle Against Gum Disease
Dr. Kammer believes xylitol is an important part of
attacking gum disease. In his lecture, he said that pro-
fessionals need to get the public’s and media’s attention
and educate them about xylitol and its benefits to oral
health and overall body health. “The help you can bring
to your patients can add years to their life, and add life
to their years,” said Dr. Kammer.
Whether it’s in the form of press releases, educating
the media, or educating patients, Dr. Kammer said com-
municating the message is key. And where American Idol
is concerned, Dr. Kammer assured the audience that the
show hasn’t seen the last of him. Good luck Randy!
—Elyse Fetherman
Chris Kammer, DDS
Dr. Kammer is the current president and founder of the
American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH).
He is also the chief dental adviser and a frequent con-
tributor to Reader’s Digest. Dr. Kammer also has per-
formed a root canal on The Today Show and “Get Out
the Brush!” on American Idol, Season 10.
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