James Kretzschmar gained a BA in Chemistry before gaining a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Baylor College of Dentistry. He then went on to complete his General Practice Residency at Irwin Army Hospital, Fort Riley, KS. James Kretzschmar served in the Air Force for 20 years. He was responsible for training Aerospace Medicine physicians in oral surgical procedures prior to remote deployments. James Kretzschmar has published many academic articles including a piece in the Journal of the American Dental Association.