What Does the K7 Technology Measure?

What Does the K7 Technology Measure — And Why Can’t a GNM Dentist Practice Without It?

Most dentists assess the masticatory system through subjective observation — what they see, feel and hear. The K7 Evaluation System replaces that subjectivity with objective, quantifiable data across three simultaneous dimensions. It measures jaw tracking, muscle activity (EMG), joint sounds (ESG), and mandibular position — before and after TENS — giving the GNM clinician a complete physiologic picture that no other diagnostic method can provide. Without this data, treatment decisions are educated guesses. With it, they are measured, verified and reproducible.

OCCLUSAL ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT STUDY

Research and understanding starts with data and documentation of evidence. By recording before, mid and after treatment data the treating clinician can better learn what physiologic responses of his patient are working and what parts are not working. The prudent dentist will then further his study and treatment in a direction that respectfully addresses these responses to the masticatory system positively that will improve the patient’s health rather than by randomly and subjectively assuming certain procedures and modes of treatment he/she provides to the patient is OK.

MEASUREMENTS TELL US A LOT ABOUT THINGS WE WERE NOT AWARE OF PREVIOUSLY.

The concept of “normal” is irrelevant and and often misleading in the field of dentistry and medicine. What some may consider normal may not be normal for others when evaluating mandibular jaw positioning and functional responses of opening and closing of the jaw. What some clinicians may consider normal may in actuality be abnormal (pathologic) when physiologic parameters used as a baseline to objectively measure and compared to physiologic norms.

“Because most clinicians do not treat their TMD cases to know parameters of healthy they never know if their method and approach is on track or not…they just do what others taught them….not to measure or quantify their results of treatment. Subjective responses of hurting or not hurting or not in pain are not adequate when diagnosing or treating chronic fatigued TMD joint and muscular problems of the trigeminal nerve system.”

Without measured parameters in dentistry one will never know the many factors of whether the masticatory system (teeth, muscles, temporomandibular and CNS) are functioning optimally or whether there exists levels of impairment (dysfunction) when trying to re-establish maximum dental improvement (MDI) health.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself:

Is there any masticatory muscle dysfunction?
Is there any presence of pain?
Is there any joint derangement?

dis·a·bil·i·ty ˌdisəˈbilədē/ noun

a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
synonyms: handicap, disablement, incapacity, impairment, infirmity, defect, abnormality; condition, disorder, affliction
“my disability makes getting into bed a slow process”
a disadvantage or handicap, especially one imposed or recognized by the law.
“he had to quit his job and go on disability.”

OCCLUSAL STUDY and TESTING:

The K7 kineseograph occlusal evaluation system is able to assist the clinician in testing the masticatory system in determine the level of health (physiologic) versus levels of unhealth (pathologic – dysfunction and impairment) for following areas:

BEFORE TREATMENT:

Habitual resting ability of the masticatory system before TENS – Scan 9 EMG (measures in mV).
Functional recruitment ability of the masticatory muscles during clenching modes – Scan 11 EMG (measures in mV).
Quality of muscle balance timing during first tooth contact activity – Scan 12 EMG (measures in mV).
Functional mandibular open and closing ability and speed before TENS – Scan 2 CMS (measures in millimeters and ms/second) – jaw tracking.
3 dimensional habitual resting freeway space before TENS – Scan 3 (measures in millimeters) – – jaw tracking.
Swallowing patterns before treatment – Scan 6 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Functional chewing patterns before treatment – Scan 8 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Mandibular range of motion before treatment – Scan 13 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Joint sound analysis during functional mandibular open and closing cycles before treatment – Scan 15 (measures in millimeters and frequency levels) – ESG/jaw tracking.

AFTER TREATMENT:

Habitual resting ability after TENS – Scan 10 EMG (measures in mV).
Habitual trajectory vs. Myo-trajectory mandibular jaw location relative to CO after TENS – Scan 4/5 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Functional mandibular open and closing ability and speed after TENS – Scan 7 CMS (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Swallowing patterns after treatment – Scan 6 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Functional chewing patterns after treatment – Scan 8 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Mandibular range of motion after treatment – Scan 13 (measures in millimeters) – jaw tracking.
Joint sound analysis during functional mandibular open and closing cycles before treatment – Scan 15 (measures in millimeters and frequency levels) – ESG/jaw tracking.

CASE STUDY

Male, 29 years old, presents with numerous musculoskeletal constrictions including stiff neck, retruded mandible (post 4 bicuspid orthodontics), tight throat and diminished voice complaints.

BEFORE ORTHOTIC CORRECTION: This is one type of “neuro-muscular” response with J5 Dental TENS using computerized mandibular scanning (K7 Jaw Tracking). Note the vertical pulse pattern (blue), note the AP – antero-posterior pulse (red) and frontal/lateral (green) pulse pattern and movement of the mandible. Patient is instructed to relax their jaw. After 7 seconds patient is instructed to close his teeth together and tap 2 times and then relax.

K7 Neural Response before GNM Occlusal Adjustmet

AFTER: Here is same TMD patient on same appointment visit AFTER ORTHOTIC correction adjustment. One can see two different “neuro-muscular responses”. Only with the use of involuntary TENS can one see these kind of real time neuro-muscular occlusal responses in both the vertical, AP and frontal/lateral mandibular movement abilities of his jaw. This is the power of the K7 Optimizing occlusal protocols and technique GNM style.

K7 Neural Response AFTER GNM Occlusal Adjustmet

Any of these tests can be performed before to determine quality and level of functional health (dysfunction and or impairment) exists prior to, during and or after treatment in determining whether maximal dental improvement has been achieved or not.

Mandibular movements/(function), temporomandibular joint function and muscle activity that does not operate to standards of physiologic health are considered dysfunctional or impaired.

Frequently Asked Questions

🔹 What does the K7 Evaluation System actually measure that other diagnostic methods cannot? The K7 measures three independent physiologic dimensions of the masticatory system simultaneously and objectively — something no single conventional diagnostic method can replicate. First, surface electromyography (EMG) records masticatory and cervical muscle activity in microvolts across multiple channels — capturing rest, function, clenching, and post-TENS muscle responses. Second, computerized mandibular scanning (CMS) records jaw movement in all six dimensions of mandibular freedom — vertical, antero-posterior, frontal/lateral, pitch, yaw, and roll — capturing trajectory, velocity, range, and freeway space. Third, electrosonography (ESG) records joint sound signatures during opening and closing cycles using Fast Fourier Transform analysis — capturing frequency, amplitude, timing, and pattern of TMJ acoustic events. The K7 also coordinates these three measurement systems with J5 Dental TENS to deprogram the musculature and reveal the position the mandible naturally finds when free of compensation. No combination of palpation, articulating paper, MRI, or clinical observation produces this integrated dataset. Without it, treatment decisions are educated guesses. With it, they are measured, verified, and reproducible.

🔹 What are the key K7 scans every GNM dentist uses — and what does each one tell the clinician? The K7 produces multiple scan types, each capturing a different physiologic parameter: Scan 2 (CMS) records functional mandibular opening and closing ability and speed before TENS — capturing velocity and quality of jaw movement. Scan 3 (jaw tracking) records the three-dimensional habitual resting freeway space before TENS — capturing rest position relative to habitual occlusion. Scan 4/5 (jaw tracking) records the habitual trajectory versus optimized myo-trajectory mandibular jaw location relative to centric occlusion after TENS — the bite-registration scan that defines the GNM clinical position. Scan 6 records swallowing patterns. Scan 8 records functional chewing cycles. Scan 9 EMG records habitual resting muscle activity before TENS in microvolts. Scan 10 EMG records habitual resting muscle activity after TENS — verifying genuine deprogramming. Scan 11 EMG records functional clench recruitment ability. Scan 12 EMG records muscle balance timing during first tooth contact — one of the most clinically valuable scans for occlusal interference identification. Scan 13 records mandibular range of motion. Scan 15 ESG records joint sound signatures using FFT analysis. The complete protocol captures the patient’s masticatory system before treatment, after TENS, and after orthotic delivery — providing objective verification at every clinical decision point.

🔹 Why is the K7 essential to GNM practice rather than optional? Because GNM is built on the principle that clinical decisions involving the masticatory system must be verified by objective measurement, not assumed by clinical judgment alone. Mandibular movements, temporomandibular joint function, and muscle activity that do not operate to standards of physiologic health are considered dysfunctional or impaired — but dysfunction and impairment cannot be reliably identified without measurement. Subjective responses of hurting or not hurting are not adequate when diagnosing or treating chronic fatigued TMD joint and muscular problems of the trigeminal nerve system. The K7 provides the parameters of physiologic health against which the patient’s masticatory system can be objectively compared — before treatment, during treatment, and after treatment. Without these measurements, the dentist has no way to verify whether maximum dental improvement (MDI) has been achieved, no way to identify levels of impairment, and no way to confirm whether treatment is on track. The K7 is not a supplement to GNM clinical reasoning. It is the foundation on which GNM clinical reasoning is built.

🔹 What is the difference between using K7 data and interpreting K7 data? The K7 produces the same measurements regardless of who operates it. Scan 4/5 jaw tracking values, EMG microvolts, ESG frequency signatures, and CMS trajectory data are reproducible across clinicians and across visits. But measurement is only the beginning. The clinical conclusion drawn from K7 data depends entirely on the depth of training the dentist brings to the interpretation. An NM-trained K7 dentist may look at a patient’s EMG values, see them within normal range, look at the Scan 4/5 myo-trajectory, see it tracking the optimized path, and conclude the case is on track. A GNM-trained K7 dentist looking at the same recordings may identify subtle asymmetries in the cervical EMG channels, recognize a pitch or yaw signature inconsistent with sustained postural stability, or correlate the Scan 15 ESG joint sound pattern with a postural dysfunction not yet visible in the clinical exam — and conclude the case requires additional protocol steps before treatment can hold. The data is identical. The clinical reading is not. This is why the OC Masterclass curriculum is structured as Levels 1 through 9 — progressively deepening the dentist’s ability to interpret what the K7 reveals at increasingly sophisticated levels of clinical reasoning. Owning a K7 makes a dentist a K7 user. Training in GNM scan interpretation makes a dentist a K7 reader.

Continued Learning

Clinical Problem Solving:

K7 Technology:

K7 Scan Protocols:

Core Concepts:

The Original Science Behind GNM:

Training & Registration:

OC Masterclass Training →

Written by Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. — Founder and Director, Occlusion Connections | Las Vegas, Nevada

6170 W. Desert Inn Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146 | Telephone: (702) 271-2950

www.occlusionconnections.com

Leader in Gneuromuscular Dentistry

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What Does the K7 Technology Measure?