Course Description: "Comprehensive Diagnosis for the Craniomandibular Patient"

Teaching Method: Lecture

Prerequisite Course: Level 1 – Foundations of GNM Physiologic Occlusion

CE Credit Hours: 16

Level 2 - ADVANCED GNM DIAGNOSTIC PRINCIPLES

Comprehensive Diagnosis for the Craniomandibular Patient — The Foundation of Every Treatment Decision You Will Ever Make

A 2-Day Masterclass Intensive with Dr. Clayton A. Chan

"This is where diagnosis transforms your clinical outcomes."

Jump To: Forensic Diagnosis | Live Demonstration | Course Objectives | About Your Teacher | Testimonials

Level 2 Overview

Why do some cases stabilize — and others never do?

Why patients break down, why symptoms persist, and why treatment succeeds or fails
How 8 key diagnostic categories bring clarity to even the most confusing presentations
How to recognize early craniomandibular dysfunction before it becomes a complex problem

Two live demonstrations make Level 2 unlike any other diagnostic course in the world.

This is where your clinical thinking changes permanently.

The Forensic Diagnostic Approach — Seeing What Others Miss

Most dental examinations look at teeth, muscles, and joints in isolation
GNM comprehensive diagnosis goes far deeper — correlating symptoms, diagnostic casts, radiographs, K7 data, and clinical findings into a complete forensic analysis of the entire craniomandibular system
This is how GNM-trained clinicians 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

Level 2 teaches you that process from the ground up.

Live Demonstration Highlights:

The Highlight of Level 2 — Live Diagnostic & Orthotic Demonstration

These demonstrations show how the 8 diagnostic categories are applied in real time to arrive at a clear Craniomandibular Disorders Diagnosis.

Highlight 1 — Full K7 Diagnostic Work‑Up Demonstration

Dr. Chan performs a complete K7 diagnostic work‑up in real time, showing how each scan contributes to a clear, physiologic diagnosis.

You will see how to gather and interpret:

Resting EMGs - Before and After TENS
Functional EMGs - Clench, First Tooth Contact
CMS jaw tracking scans - Functional Swallow, Open and Close Velocity
Range of motion
Chewing cycle analysis
ESG joint sound recordings

This demonstration reveals how the joints, muscles, and occlusion behave — and how to identify instability, compensation, and dysfunction with precision.

Highlight 2 — Delivery and Adjustment of the GNM Orthotic

Dr. Chan also demonstrates — step by step — how the lower anatomical GNM orthosis is delivered, evaluated, and occlusally adjusted.

You will see:

What to look for
What to adjust
How to adjust it and
Why each adjustment matters to stability

This demonstration shows how the orthotic is used within the 8 diagnostic categories to confirm, refine, and validate the physiologic diagnosis.

“Diagnosis is where treatment success is won or lost — long before a single orthotic is fabricated.”

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Perform a complete GNM comprehensive examination using precise, reproducible diagnostic protocols.
Understand and apply the 8 key diagnostic categories used to arrive at a proper Craniomandibular Disorders Diagnosis.
Screen patients effectively for craniomandibular compromise and identify key physiologic risk indicators.
Gather and document forensic‑style diagnostic records with accuracy and consistency.
Interpret musculoskeletal occlusal signs and symptoms to determine etiology and clinical meaning.
Evaluate TM joint tomography, airway imaging, and cervical structures as part of a full TMJ/TMD assessment.
Apply photography and visual documentation as diagnostic and communication tools.
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.
Demonstrate how the lower anatomical GNM orthosis is delivered and occlusally adjusted as an introduction to micro‑occlusal concepts and foundational GNM adjustment steps.

You Will Learn:

How to use the 8 diagnostic categories to organize patient findings into a clear diagnosis
How to recognize the early signs of craniomandibular dysfunction
How to gather diagnostic records that reveal the true source of instability
How to interpret EMGs, CMS jaw tracking, and ESG joint sounds with clarity
How to identify when a patient is stable, unstable, or compensating
How to use the lower anatomical GNM orthotic as a diagnostic tool
How to approach complex cases with a structured, physiologic mindset
How to avoid common diagnostic mistakes that lead to treatment failure

How Confident Is Your Diagnosis? After Level 2, You Will Know.

The examination process is where treatment success is won or lost
A clinician who cannot diagnose with precision cannot treat with confidence
Level 2 gives you the complete diagnostic framework — the records, the interpretation, the clinical reasoning, and the communication skills

This is where great GNM clinicians are made. Not at the chair — in the examination room.

About Your Teacher

Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. — Founder, Director, and Teacher Occlusion Connections — The Center for Gneuromuscular Dentistry and Orthopedic Advancement

When taking OC's Masterclass training, you can be assured you are taught the most current and clinically relevant techniques — based on sound science, substantiated protocols, and proven clinical application. Dr. Chan's GNM teachings have afforded dentists from around the world the ability to implement clinical occlusal techniques that achieve outstanding results in real-world dental practices.

Dr. Chan's forensic approach to craniomandibular diagnosis — integrating clinical examination, radiographic interpretation, K7 instrumentation data, and physiologic assessment into a systematic diagnostic framework — represents the most complete and clinically proven diagnostic methodology available in dentistry today. It is this depth of diagnostic thinking that makes Level 2 unlike any other course in the world. More About Dr. Chan →

What Doctors Say About Level 2

"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." — Gregg Ueckert, D.D.S., Austin, TX

"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

"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