Occlusion Connections · Founder & Director
Legacy Statement
Founder and Director of Occlusion Connections (OC)
The Center for Gneuromuscular Dentistry & Orthopedic Advancement
Dr. Clayton A. Chan is a pioneering force in dentistry, whose clinical vision, educational leadership, and diagnostic precision have shaped the evolution of physiologic occlusion worldwide.
As Director of Neuromuscular Dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) from 2000 to 2006, Dr. Chan developed and taught the foundational curriculum that introduced thousands of clinicians to objective diagnostics and physiologic principles. His creation of Occlusion I, II, III, TMD, Scan Interpretation, and Neuromuscular Orthodontic courses laid the groundwork for LVI’s Fellowship and Mastership programs—credentialing pathways he helped design and launch.
Dr. Chan was an early adopter and innovator with Myotronics technology, integrating the K6i, K7, and K7x systems into clinical workflows as early as 1996. He contributed to beta testing and clinical validation of Myotronics software, and continues to teach TMD I and TMD II courses as an invited independent instructor. His involvement with the North American Neuromuscular Study Club (NANSC) placed him among the earliest K7 users committed to advancing objective diagnostics.
A published author in ICCMO Anthologies VI, VII, and VIII, Dr. Chan earned Fellowship (FICCMO) and Mastership (MICCMO) status, reflecting both scholarly contribution and clinical mastery. His lectures at ICCMO and other global forums have consistently advanced the understanding of GNeuromuscular Dentistry (GNMD), occlusion, and TMD.
The GNM Movement and OC Curriculum
Dr. Chan is the originator and developer of GNeuromuscular Dentistry (GNM)—a clinical philosophy that unites gnathic structure with neuromuscular function to address occlusion and TMD with unprecedented clarity. By integrating GNM with Myotronics objective measurement tools—including K7 scan recordings, J5 TENS, and ESG (Electrosonography)—he introduced a new level of diagnostic precision and clinical relevance.
His work has prompted the neuromuscular community, including ICCMO, to ask deeper questions:
- What defines an Optimized bite?
- How do we interpret K7 scan data with clinical meaning?
- How do we move beyond symbolic models into reproducible physiologic application?
- How to implement and apply the K7 technology to the dental practice of occlusion and TMD?
At Occlusion Connections, GNM is taught through a 9-level Master Class curriculum, each designed to deepen clinicians’ understanding of occlusion, TMD, and systemic harmony. OC also offers three advanced GNM Orthodontic courses, along with supporting modules that help dentists implement and clinically apply these teachings in real-world settings.
OC’s curriculum includes:
- Levels 1–9 Masterclass Courses: From foundational GNM principles to advanced coronoplasty, bite refinement, scan interpretation, and orthotic management.
- Specialized Instrumentation Courses: Including Unlocking the Secrets of K7 ESG Scan 15, a groundbreaking 2-day course on joint vibration analysis using FFT.
- Orthopedic/Orthodontic Track: Ortho I–III courses covering dentofacial orthopedics and mechanics.
- Supportive Courses: Orthotic fabrication, bite transfer, and clinical integration.
OC Masterclass courses have been attended by general practitioners, specialists, and leaders from around the world. It is recognized as the premier center for comprehensive occlusal education, offering logical solutions to complex restorative, TMD, and orthodontic challenges.
“Taking shortcuts will only lead to clinical frustrations and failures.”
In Honor
Dr. Philip L. Taylor, DDS
Dr. Philip L. Taylor was the founder and clinical director of the Taylor Dental Institute in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego, California, a gnathologist — and the first and only dentist Dr. Chan had ever met who truly understood the details of occlusion and anatomical form.
As Dr. Chan’s original gnathology mentor, this pioneering teacher inspired him with the concepts of “Organic Occlusion.” Dr. Taylor was instrumental in teaching him the concepts of occlusal correction — in essence, correcting and perfecting how you “bite” and how the teeth fit together. And it was Dr. Taylor’s hands-on approach — in the laboratory as well as chairside with his patients — that showed Dr. Chan it was possible to practice dentistry at the highest level with a single dental chair, wholly focused on the patient, with less.
He helped Dr. Chan understand that the slightest details in occlusion can make the difference for those who suffer and seek help — TMJ, headaches, joint pain, tooth grinding and clenching — symptoms that, when due to an improper occlusion, can be remedied by changing the bite. That attention to gnathic detail lives on as the “G” in GNM.
In Honor
Dr. James F. Garry, DDS, MICCMO
Dr. James F. Garry was a visionary in the field of dentistry, whose early research and clinical insights into Upper Airway Obstruction, dento-facial deformities, and craniomandibular dysfunction helped shape the modern understanding of physiologic and neuromuscular care.
Often referred to as the “Einstein of Dentistry,” Dr. Garry was deeply influenced by Dr. Bernard Jankelson and became one of the earliest adopters of Myotronics technology, integrating objective diagnostics into airway-focused treatment protocols. His work bridged the gap between airway science, occlusion, and systemic health, long before these connections were widely recognized.
As a mentor to Dr. Clayton A. Chan during the formative years of neuromuscular dentistry, Dr. Garry’s influence was profound. His clinical wisdom, intellectual rigor, and commitment to patient-centered care inspired a generation of clinicians to think beyond the teeth—to the airway, the posture, and the whole person.
In Honor
Dr. Robert Jankelson, DDS, MICCMO
Dr. Robert Jankelson carried forward the pioneering legacy of his father, Dr. Bernard Jankelson, by refining and expanding the principles of Neuromuscular Dentistry (NMD). He authored Neuromuscular Dental Diagnosis and Treatment, and helped establish the concept of Myocentric occlusion—a physiologic bite position grounded in optimal muscle function.
As a mentor and teaching partner to Dr. Clayton A. Chan at LVI, Dr. Jankelson played a pivotal role in shaping the delivery of NM education. He taught Dr. Chan how to lecture, how to share the NM message with clarity and conviction, and how to honor the science behind the technology.
Together, they taught clinicians across the U.S. and abroad—including in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan, where Dr. Chan represented Myotronics and J. Morita Company in delivering NM education to Japanese doctors. Dr. Jankelson’s mentorship helped catalyze Dr. Chan’s global impact and solidify GNMD as a movement rooted in both clinical excellence and educational integrity.
Read Dr. Jankelson’s paper: Predictability and Reliability of K7 Technology →
We honor the mentorship of Dr. Philip L. Taylor, Dr. James F. Garry and Dr. Robert Jankelson, whose early guidance helped shape Dr. Chan’s path and whose influence continues to resonate throughout OC’s teachings. Their legacy lives on not through politics, but through practice, as GNM is not a borrowed idea—it is a movement born from clinical experience, refined through deep analysis and teaching, and proven in the lives of those we serve. At Occlusion Connections, we build upon that legacy with clarity, humility, and purpose, ensuring that OC-trained clinicians understand not just the “how,” but the deeper “why” behind every protocol, every decision, and every act of care.
At OC, we remain committed to preserving the integrity of this lineage.
“GNM is not a repackaging of existing ideas—it is a distinct clinical philosophy, pioneered by Dr. Chan, that integrates gnathic structure, neuromuscular function, and objective diagnostics into a reproducible, physiologic model of care”.
