OC GNM Awards Recognition Program: A Merit-Based Pathway to Honor and Integrity

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OC Fellowship Award         OC Mastership Award        OC Diplomate Award

OC Fellowship Award Recipients

The OCCLUSION CONNECTIONS™ (OC) Awards dentists with valued achievement who have distinguished themselves through rigorous training, clinical competency, mastery in 3 core disciplines:

1. TMD Pain Management
2. Restorative/Prosthetic Reconstruction
3. Orthodontic/Orthopedics

To uphold the integrity of OC’s recognition program and reflect its ethos of humility, rigor, and transformation, OC’s Merit-Based Recognition framework is one that affirms not just participation, but genuine clinical mastery.

• Affirms Integrity: Titles should reflect earned expertise, not mere attendance or affiliation.
• Protects the Movement: Safeguards OC’s legacy from dilution and misrepresentation.
• Inspires Growth: Encourages sincere learners to rise through study, integration, and service.

OC Awards Recognition Programs I–III: A Structured Pathway to Clinical Mastery
The OC Recognition Programs I–III represent the core curriculum of OC’s GNM training pathway, guiding dentists from foundational understanding to advanced clinical integration.

OC Fellow Awards Recognition Program I – Foundational Competency
Dentists who complete Recognition Program I (Levels 1–4) gain the knowledge and skills to confidently deliver GNM orthopedic orthotics and manage TMD cases using objective diagnostics and neuromuscular protocols.

Residents may submit four Phase 1 orthotic cases and take the OC Fellowship Examination to be recognized as an OC Fellow—a designation that reflects clinical competency, diagnostic clarity, and philosophical alignment with OC’s ethos.

OC Master Awards Recognition Program II – Advanced Integration
Completion of Levels 5–9 equips the advancing resident with deeper understanding and refined skills to treat complex TMD patients, integrating restorative, orthopedic, and occlusal principles.

OC Mastership Pathway
Upon completing of Recognition Program II, the doctor may submit one Phase 1 orthotic case that has progressed to Phase 2 completion, along with a written examination, to be recognized as an OC Master—a merit-based honor reflecting mastery-level insight, clinical integration, and commitment to OC’s philosophy of humility, rigor, and transformation.

Merit-Based Recognition: Honoring Mastery in OC GNM Dentistry
Occlusion Connections™ anchors its recognition in merit—through documented clinical integration, peer affirmation, and philosophical reflection. This approach:

• Elevates the meaning of Fellowship and Mastership beyond mere attendance
• Safeguards the integrity of OC’s legacy from dilution or misrepresentation
• Empowers sincere learners to rise with clarity, humility, and honor

These awards represent a standardized verification process that distinguishes an OC dentist’s competency, skill, and qualifications in treating patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction of the head and neck.
OC’s Award Recognition Program affirms the need to uphold high standards of proficiency among doctors who implement comprehensive Gneuromuscular (GNM) care. Through the OC Proficiency Board, clear criteria and evaluation standards have been established to assess a clinician’s ability to meet these goals.
Occlusion Connections™ is committed to recognizing dentists who demonstrate discipline, advanced clinical skill, and technical excellence—those who embody the spirit of OC and rise above their peers in service, mastery, and integrity.

Who Can Apply: All candidates who have met the criteria for each of these awards.

Why is Credentialing important to Occlusion Connections?

• It is a means to demonstrate a dentists commitment to their continued post graduate education competency and mastery at their highest levels of their knowledge, skills and abilities of all three disciplines.
• It is a key component in recognizing and maintaining OC’s alumni status as health care providers.
• OC is committed to awarding highly trained and skilled practitioners who are involved in an end-to-end process, starting with the dentist recruitment and continuing through peer review.
• OC’s awarding process is designed to help our dentist maintain their highest standards of professionalism, knowledge, abilities and a means to distinguish their achievements amongst their peers.

Credentialing Requirements includes:

• Completing the required OC training courses.
• Documented Cases Studies: The process of gathering complete diagnostic information and treatment provided to patients in the areas of TMD, restorative and orthodontic are a required part of this testing and examination process to prove clinical proficiency and effectiveness.
• Training Criteria:  Verifying that each doctor falls within OC’s post continuing educational standards for OC Fellow, OC Master and OC Diplomat status hours of continuing education for each of the awards are required to be within the past 3 recent years .
• Dental license is active and up to date, has not been suspended or revoked within the last five years, and is not currently under probation, suspension, or revocation.

Areas of Testing and Training includes:

OC FELLOW:

• Advanced GNM Principles of Physiologic Occlusion – Section 1 examination  – validating the dentists’ comprehension and understanding of foundational principles of physiology, musculoskeletal occlusal  diagnosis and clinical application of neuromuscular and gneuromuscular phase I stabilization protocols, validating clinicians ability to administer low frequency J5 Dental  TENS optimization protocols.
• Advanced GNM Diagnostic Principles – Section II examination  – validating dentists’ comprehension and understanding of diagnostic data gathering and interpretation protocols.
• Advanced GNM Treatment Planning  – Section III examination – validating dentists’ comprehension and understanding of the 4 major TMD categories of NM challenges and foundational EMG diagnostic scan interpretation.
• Introduction to GNM Micro Occlusion/Coronoplasty I – Section IV examination – validating dentists’ comprehension and understanding of occlusal anatomy, occlusal management and carving of an anatomical orthosis principles.

OC MASTER:

• Advanced GNM Bite Refinement/K7 Scan Interpretation – Section V examination – validating dentists’ comprehension and understanding of mandibular postural optimization, mandibular trajectory protocols, K7 instrumentation management and key foundational knowledge of electromyography (EMG), computerized mandibular scanning (CMS – jaw tracking) and electrosonography (ESG) diagnostic and treatment scans, validating clinicians ability to administer K7 and low frequency Myomonitor TENS optimization protocols.
• Advanced GNM Bite Management & Transfer – Section VI examination – validating dentists’ comprehension and understanding phase I orthotic and phase II restorative bite transfer protocols and principles.
• Advanced GNM Micro Occlusion/Coronoplasty II – Section VII examination – validating dentists’s comprehension and understanding of gnathologic and neuromuscular occlusal and TMD management protocols.
• Advanced GNM Scan Interpretation – Section VIII examination – validating dentist’s comprehension and scan interpretation understanding of computerized mandibular scanning CMS – (jaw tracking), electromyography (EMG) and electrosonography (ESG).
• K7 ESG Joint Sound Recording – Section IX examination – validating dentist’s comprehension of fast fourier transform (FFT) analysis, understanding and interpretation of electrosonographic (ESG) joint signature patterns to identify various TM joint conditions and pathologies.

OC DIPLOMAT:

• Fundamentals of Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedics – Section IX examination – validating dentist’s comprehension and understanding of the concepts of dental orthopedic growth and development as well as the orthodontic tools and records.
• Initiation of Orthopedic and Orthodontic Treatment – Section X examination – validating dentist’s comprehension, understanding and clinical skills of diagnosis, treatment planning and effective management of the neuromuscular orthodontic/orthopedic case.
• Orthodontic and Orthopedic Mechanics I – Section XI examination – validating dentist’s comprehension and implementing orthodontic/orthopedic mechanics.
• Determining whether optimal knowledge and skills have been acquired to apply the GNM protocols and principles to a high standard of proficiency in the clinical environment.

The exam is offered by special arrangements prior to the OC Summit meetings.

Disclosure:

The credentialing process is not a guarantee of any level of quality or service received from participating OC dentists.  Participating dentists are independent practitioners in private or group practice and are neither agents nor employees of Occlusion Connections.  The OC Credentialing Board mandates that the dentist’s professional competency and conduct is maintained and practiced to high standards.