Course Description: "Refining the Mandibular Position"
Teaching Method: Lecture and Participation
Prerequisite Course: Levels 1 and 2
CE Credit Hours: 16
AGD Subject Code(s): 180/185 Occlusion/Appliance Therapy | 010 Basic Sciences | 200 Orofacial Pain | 250 Operative/Restorative Dentistry | 610 Fixed Prosthodontics | 670 Removable Prosthodontics
Level 3 - ADVANCED GNM TREATMENT PLANNING
Refining the Mandibular Position — Where Diagnosis Becomes a Treatment Plan
A 2-Day Masterclass Intensive Training with Dr. Clayton A. Chan
This is where GNM thinking becomes GNM doing.
Jump To: Level 3 Overview | Live Demonstration | Course Objectives | About Your Teacher | Testimonials
Most NM dentists today are delivering what they think is a GNM orthotic — but it is actually a flat plane splint dressed up as something more. They do not know:
- What anatomical orthotic form should look like
- Why a flat plane splint and a lower anatomical GNM orthosis are fundamentally different devices
- How to properly design an orthotic for each of the four occlusal problem types
- How to adjust it and know when it is creating stability
- How to take a Class II Division 2 or anterior open bite patient from Phase I stabilization through Phase II finalization
That design determines whether the case stabilizes or fails. Level 3 is where you learn the difference.
THE KEY TEST
Ask yourself — do you realize that what you are delivering is actually a flat plane splint dressed up as something more?
If the answer gives you pause — Level 3 was built for exactly this moment.
Classical NM treats every orthotic case the same way. GNM does not.
- Does a cervical problem respond the same way as a primary TMJ disorder?
- Does a Class II Division 2 case require the same orthotic design as an anterior open bite?
- Are you getting different results from similar cases — and not knowing why?
Each problem type presents differently. Each requires specifically designed orthotic parameters. Treating them all the same is one of the most costly errors in practice.
Level 3 shows you exactly how to tell them apart — and exactly what to do for each one.
There is no substitute for watching a master clinician work.
In Level 3, Dr. Chan demonstrates the full orthotic delivery and adjustment process — live, in precise clinical detail, with actual cases and mounted models in hand.
- What to look for at each appointment
- How to adjust for each of the four occlusal problem types
- How to know the orthotic is progressing toward stability
This is not a repeat of Level 2. Each demonstration builds a deeper layer of clinical understanding — preparing you for what comes next.
This is the clinical education that only comes from watching Dr. Chan work — and it exists nowhere else.
Level 4 is where you do it yourself. Level 3 is where you learn to see it.
Knowing GNM is one thing. Executing it with confidence is another.
- No more uncertainty after orthotic delivery
- No more guessing at adjustment appointments
- No more patients cycling through treatment without a clear plan guiding every step
Level 3 gives you the protocols, the sequencing, and the confidence to do what GNM requires.
From the first orthotic adjustment to the final restoration.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Execute dependable, comprehensive, three-dimensional dentognathic diagnosis before treating functional and aesthetic problems
- Establish an optimal mandibular position and stabilize it using a properly designed lower anatomical GNM orthosis
- Identify and apply specific orthotic design parameters for the four distinct occlusal problem types: cervical problems, primary TMJ disorders, Class II Division 2, and anterior open bite conditions
- Communicate a complete treatment plan managing the orthosis through transitional phases from Phase I stabilization to Phase II finalization
- Establish and verify the optimal physiologic bite using K7 jaw tracking instrumentation and TENS
- Discuss the Modified Fox Plane technique for maxillary cast mounting and determine when it is and is not indicated
- Mount maxillary and mandibular casts physiologically using the OPI index
- Implement the lower anatomical GNM orthosis for four distinct clinical problem types
- Apply introductory Micro-occlusion (Coronoplasty) principles and rules of occlusal adjustment
- Establish a sequenced treatment plan and visualize the complete process prior to any tooth preparation
- Convert a case from orthosis to reconstruction using established GNM protocols
- How to establish and verify a physiologic optimized bite repeatably
- How to use K7 jaw tracking and TENS to locate and confirm the bite
- How to resolve clicking and popping and interpret CMS and ESG data clinically
- How to analyze maxillo-mandibular cast relationships physiologically
- How to orient the maxillary cast, apply the Fox Plane record, and mount using the OPI index
- How to design and deliver a lower anatomical GNM orthosis for each of the four occlusal problem types
- How to manage every adjustment from Phase I stabilization through Phase II finalization
- How to determine when not to equilibrate — and why
- How to introduce Micro-occlusion (Coronoplasty) and the rules of occlusal adjustment
- How to convert a case from orthosis to final restoration
A Glimpse Into Full Mouth Reconstruction
On Day 2, Dr. Chan sits down with doctors for a live case review — models, waxed up models, and articulator in hand.
- See how a completed Phase I orthotic case transitions into Phase II restorative
- Visualize the full reconstruction process before a single tooth is touched
- Get a first look at what Level 6 full mouth reconstruction training takes you next
This is where GNM treatment planning comes full circle.
And where the next level of your clinical journey begins.
Clayton A. Chan, D.D.S. — Founder, Director, and Teacher Occlusion Connections — The Center for Gneuromuscular Dentistry and Orthopedic Advancement
Dr. Chan's leadership and pioneering role in Gneuromuscular occlusal teachings has been recognized by peers worldwide for his ability to deliver outstanding care to patients and present the most advanced principles of dental occlusion and TMD treatment with clarity, precision, and genuine clinical depth.
"I am so glad that I came to Level 3 instead of starting out at Level 5. It ranks as one of the best lectures I have attended and cleared up much of my confusion in NM. Level 3 really is the foundation of NM understanding as it pieces together all the clinical things that we all see daily with the academic aspect of NM that we all must know. I was quite lost as I knew NM in clusters of knowledge, not knowing how to link them together. Clayton in Level 3 really puts it in perspective — and not only that, went into details of many scans and treatment angles of cases that present themselves in our practice. The best part is that now I know what I am seeing in my scans, why they look that way and then what to do if certain symptoms do not resolve. Understanding the four different types of occlusal dysfunction changes everything." — Dr. Jerry E.Y. Lim, BDS, FRACDS, Singapore/Australia
"I am amazed at what I learn each time I attend a new course. Clayton revealed another very insightful piece of the Scan 4/5 puzzle. The interesting part is that it is something that we all have seen but no one has ever picked up on — and it makes perfect sense differentiating Primary TMD from cervical issues. The course was typical of what I expect from OC — full of information delivered in a very relaxed style with plenty of good thoughtful questions and discussion." — Chris Mohler, D.D.S., Beaufort, SC
"Dr. Chan is a dedicated educator. He offers information that cannot be found anywhere else. These are imperative to the serious NM dentist." — Tom Pillar, D.D.S., Sioux Falls, SD
"This has been the most helpful of all the OC courses I have taken thus far." — Todd Buzbee, D.D.S., Springfield, MO
