Level 2 - ADVANCED GNM DIAGNOSTIC PRINCIPLES
Comprehensive Diagnosis — The Foundation of Every Treatment Decision You Will Ever Make
A 2-Day Masterclass Intensive with Dr. Clayton A. Chan
AGD Subject Code(s):
730 Oral Medicine/Oral Diagnosis | 200 Orofacial Pain | 181 Myofascial
Pain Dysfunction | 182 TMJ Disorder/Occlusion | 010 Basic Sciences | 149
Multi-disciplinary Topics | 138 Dental Photography
- When a complex patient sits in your chair, do you have a systematic, reproducible diagnostic process — or are you piecing it together as you go?
- Are you collecting the right records — or collecting records you don't fully know how to interpret?
- Have you ever had a patient bounce from dentist to dentist for years with unresolved pain — and wondered if you could have found the answer they were looking for?
- Do you know the 15 characteristic problems to look for when screening your craniomandibular patient?
- Are you confident adjusting the GNM orthotic after delivery — or does that part of treatment feel uncertain?
Where Level 1 Ends, Level 2 Begins
Level 1 gave you the GNM thinking process, the Optimized Bite protocol, and the 10 Fundamental Physiologic Principles. You left knowing how to think differently about occlusion and how to capture a physiologic bite registration at a level most clinicians never reach.
Level 2 takes that foundation and builds the diagnostic framework on top of it.
Because the best bite registration in the world means nothing without the diagnostic clarity to know what you are treating, why you are treating it, and how to communicate that to your patient with confidence and precision.
Diagnosis is not a form you fill out. It is a discipline you master.
Most dental examinations look at teeth, muscles, and joints in isolation. GNM comprehensive diagnosis goes far deeper — correlating symptoms with etiologies, diagnostic casts, radiographs, K7 instrumentation data, and clinical findings into a complete forensic-style analysis of the entire craniomandibular system.
This is the diagnostic approach that allows GNM-trained clinicians to identify and resolve cases that have defeated every other dentist the patient has seen. It is not guesswork. It is a systematic, evidence-based, clinically proven process for arriving at the right diagnosis — every time.
Level 2 teaches you that process from the ground up.
The Comprehensive GNM Examination Process
- What to do at the first appointment — "What I do and what I say" — Dr. Chan's complete first-visit protocol
- What records are necessary to be a truly comprehensive clinician
- How to effectively screen your craniomandibular compromised patient
- The 15 characteristic problems to identify and avoid when screening your patients
- How to perform a thorough muscle palpation examination
- How to gather and document forensic-style diagnostic records with precision and consistency
Radiographic and Imaging Interpretation
- How to interpret TM joint tomography, airway imaging, and cervical neck structures
- How to interpret ICAT and cephalometric imaging in the context of GNM diagnosis
- Radiographic interpretation as it relates to craniomandibular evaluation and TMD diagnosis
- How to correlate imaging findings with clinical and K7 diagnostic data
Photography and Visual Documentation
- What photographs to take and why
- How to use photography as a diagnostic and communication tool
- How dental photography elevates the professionalism and credibility of your comprehensive examination process
Understanding the Clinical Implications of Occlusal Classification
- Dental Class I, II, and III
- Skeletal Class I, II, and III
- Anterior open bite, unilateral and bilateral crossbite
- The asymptomatic non-paining TMD patient
- The symptomatic paining TMD patient
Introduction to K7 Diagnostic Instrumentation
- Introduction to baseline K7 diagnostic scans — EMG, CMS, and ESG — and how to implement them
- How to schedule for a diagnostic K7 workup
- How to incorporate K7 findings with the Optimized TENS bite registration
- Muscle evaluation using Electromyography and EMG interpretation
- Introduction to K7 scan interpretation as a diagnostic aid
The GNM Orthotic as a Diagnostic Tool
- Implementing the lower anatomical GNM orthosis as a diagnostic aid
- Introduction to occlusal adjustments and bite management of the removable orthosis
- How to handle orthotic delivery and the adjustments that follow
No other Level 2 equivalent course anywhere in the world includes this.
The highlight of the Level 2 course is Dr. Chan's live demonstration of how to adjust the lower anatomical GNM orthotic — in precise clinical detail, showing exactly what to look for, what to adjust, how to adjust it, and why each adjustment matters to the patient's progress toward stability.
This is the clinical knowledge that most dentists who fabricate orthotics never fully receive — leaving them uncertain at every adjustment appointment after delivery. Level 2 closes that gap with direct, hands-on demonstration that changes how you manage every orthotic patient from that day forward.
AGD PACE Continuing Education Information
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Provide the clinician with the confidence to make a sound diagnosis prior to rendering treatment
- Apply precise principles and protocols required to complete a comprehensive examination that goes beyond the usual and customary examination process
- Perform effective patient screening for craniomandibular compromise
- Execute a forensic evaluation and record data gathering process with precision and reproducibility
- Identify the etiology and clinical meaning of musculoskeletal occlusal signs and symptoms
- Interpret radiographic tomography, airway imaging, and cervical neck structures to enhance TMJ evaluation
- Apply photography and photo documentation as diagnostic and patient communication tools in comprehensive examination
- Perform muscle evaluation using Electromyography and interpret EMG findings clinically
- Implement the lower anatomical GNM orthosis as a diagnostic aid and perform introductory occlusal adjustments
- What to do at the first appointment — what to do and what to say
- What records are necessary to practice as a truly comprehensive clinician
- How to interpret those records and understand their clinical meaning
- How to effectively screen your craniomandibular compromised patient
- What photographs to take and how to use them diagnostically
- How to perform a muscle palpation examination
- How to interpret TMJ tomography, cervical films, and cephalograms
- The 15 characteristic problems to identify when screening your patients — by Dr. Chan
- The clinical implications of Dental and Skeletal Class I, II, and III relationships
- How to introduce and implement K7 diagnostic scans in your practice
- How to schedule for a diagnostic K7 workup
- How to implement the lower anatomical GNM orthosis as a diagnostic aid
- How to perform occlusal adjustments and bite management of the removable orthosis
- How to get your patients to see the value and benefits of comprehensive treatment planning
- How to handle patients with compromised bites and financial limitations
Confidence is built with comprehensive treatment planning that makes sense to the patient. Having this knowledge, perspective, and insightful diagnostic awareness will take your examination process to another level — giving you the direction to know how best to treat every patient who sits in your chair.
About Your Teacher
Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. Founder, Director, and Teacher Occlusion Connections — The Center for Gneuromuscular Dentistry and Orthopedic Advancement
Dr. Chan's leadership and pioneering role in both Gneuromuscular and Neuromuscular occlusal teachings has been recognized by peers worldwide for his ability to deliver outstanding care to patients and present the most advanced principles of dental occlusion and TMD treatment with clarity, precision, and genuine clinical depth. More About Dr. Chan →
What Doctors Say About Level 2
"GNM is 10 steps higher than NM. Those of you who think OC courses are a rehash of other NM training courses — think again. It is a whole new world of discovery. Clayton brings your level of NM knowledge to new heights. You will gain a much deeper and more profound understanding of the new revelations in GNM teachings and your knowledge base will expand exponentially. I am so glad I decided to go on this new and exciting journey." — Tom Streko, D.M.D., Westfield, NJ
"The diagnostic principles presented were fantastic and very thorough. They completely saved me with a new patient who had bounced around to many dentists and endodontists over three years complaining of pain that could not be diagnosed. She was almost resigned to just having to live with it. If I had not taken the time to collect the proper data — TMJ questionnaire, sonography, and visual exam — I would not have been able to assign her complaints to TMD. I was able to give the patient hope and feel confident that I can help her. I highly recommend this course." — Dr. Gregg Ueckert, Austin, TX
"A must for all NM docs. For the first time I witnessed significant concepts of etiology, functional pathology, differential diagnosis, behavior of joints, muscles and bones, and scan interpretation never taught before in this amazing course. The material was presented in a logical sequence, systematic and pertinent — providing us with the information to perform a proper diagnosis with confidence." — Ramin Mehregan, D.M.D., Canton, MA
"Just finished Level 2. WOW — so much information. But it was absolutely essential information: the why, what, and how of treating TMD. Just crucial fundamental knowledge. What do great coaches say when things get complicated? Get back to fundamentals." — Robin Y. Kwon, D.D.S., Gresham, OR
"Like usual it was an amazing class. I love the interpretation of tomograms, ICAT, and documentation protocols. The highlight of the course was how to adjust the orthotic in detail — in a way you cannot imagine. It wasn't a basic Level 2 at all. It is truly advanced NM. I am looking forward to the next level." — Fary Yassamy, D.D.S., San Marino, CA
"I have had many more NM courses than my fellow students in Level 2 yet I left with more knowledge and information that I was able to integrate into daily practice on my return Monday morning. Every course I have taken with Clayton over the last 13 years has made me a better dentist." — David Martin, D.D.S., Totowa, NJ
"Given my years of experience, I am always amazed at how much I learn from Clayton at every step of my journey. There are few who can create an environment of learning so relevant, so engaging, so well presented. Clayton has succeeded in doing this in spades." — Lawrence Stanleigh, B.Sc., M.Sc., D.M.D., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
"A study club atmosphere — excellent presenter and engaging." — Dr. Byron Blasco, Las Vegas, NV
How Confident Is Your Diagnosis? After Level 2, You Will Know.
The examination process is where treatment success is won or lost — long before a single orthotic is fabricated or a single restoration is placed. A clinician who cannot diagnose with precision cannot treat with confidence. And a clinician who cannot treat with confidence cannot deliver the outcomes their patients deserve.
Level 2 gives you the complete diagnostic framework — the records, the interpretation, the clinical reasoning, and the communication skills — to know exactly what you are treating, why you are treating it, and how to explain it to your patient in a way that builds trust and motivates acceptance.
This is where great GNM clinicians are made. Not at the chair — in the examination room.
