Advanced GNM Diagnostic Principles

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.

• 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.

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

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

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.”

“If you don’t see the problems, you can’t diagnose them — losing productive treatment opportunity and comprehensive treatment planning.”

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.

• 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.

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.

Occlusion Connections Inc — Nationally Approved PACE Program Provider for FAGD/MAGD credit. Approval does not imply acceptance by any regulatory authority or AGD endorsement. 9/1/2026 to 8/31/2032. Provider ID# 349336.

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 →