Level 4 - INTRODUCTION TO GNM MICRO-OCCLUSION
The Only Hands-On Micro-Occlusion Course of Its Kind in the World
A 2-Day Masterclass and Hands-On Training with Dr. Clayton A. Chan
Course Description: "Introduction to Designing the Occlusal Scheme with Micro-Occlusion"
Teaching Method: Lecture and Participation
Prerequisite Course: Levels 1, 2, and 3
CE Credit Hours: 16
AGD Subject Code(s): 184 Occlusal Adjustment/Therapy | 180/185 Occlusion/Appliance Therapy | 010 Basic Sciences | 200 Orofacial Pain
Are You Adjusting the Orthotic — Or Are You Truly Managing the Occlusion?
Most dentists who deliver orthotics know how to make adjustments. What very few know — and what no other program in the world teaches with this level of hands-on precision — is the systematic, anatomy-driven, physiologically-grounded approach to micro-occlusal management that determines whether your orthotic cases stabilize or stall.
There is a profound difference between grinding on an orthotic and designing an occlusal scheme. Level 4 is where you learn that difference — and where you develop the hands-on skills to execute it every time.
Before You Read Another Word — Ask Yourself:
- When you adjust an orthotic, do you have a systematic, reproducible protocol — or are you removing material and hoping the patient feels better?
- Do you truly understand cusp-fossa relationships, incline planes, and mandibular movements well enough to design them intentionally — rather than accidentally grind them away?
- Can you land occlusal marks precisely on an optimized measured myo-trajectory — or are you working by feel and approximation?
- Do you know exactly when to coronoplast and when not to — and why getting that wrong can destabilize a case you have spent months building?
- Are you ready to take your orthotic management from adjustment to mastery?
If any of these give you pause — Level 4 was built for exactly this moment.
The Course That No Other NM Program Has Ever Offered
Classical neuromuscular education teaches you to fabricate an orthotic and make basic adjustments. What it does not teach — what no other program in the world has ever offered in a 2-day hands-on format — is the systematic, step-by-step approach to anatomical occlusal carving, cusp-fossa design, incline plane management, and micro-occlusal refinement that Dr. Chan has developed and refined over decades of clinical practice.
This is not a lecture about occlusal theory. This is two full days of hands-on carving, adjusting, designing, and refining — guided by Dr. Chan personally — that changes how you see and manage every orthotic case from that day forward.
No other course in the world offers this.
Where Level 3 Ends, Level 4 Begins
Level 3 showed you how to deliver the orthotic, manage it through its transitional phases, and prepare for the precision occlusal work that follows. Dr. Chan's live demonstration of orthotic adjustment in Level 3 was your introduction to what is possible.
Level 4 is where that possibility becomes a hands-on skill you own.
Because knowing what good micro-occlusion looks like is not the same as being able to execute it. And being able to execute it is what separates the clinicians who get consistent, predictable orthotic results from the ones who keep wondering why their cases are not stabilizing.
Level 4 is where GNM precision becomes GNM mastery.
What Makes Level 4 Unlike Any Other Course
The lower anatomical GNM orthosis is not just a therapeutic device — it is the most powerful teaching tool in all of occlusion. Because when you work on an orthotic, you can see, feel, and measure exactly what your adjustments are doing to the occlusal scheme in real time.
Dr. Chan has developed a systematic occlusal carving and shaping protocol that takes the mystery out of micro-occlusion — making what once seemed impossibly precise into a learnable, reproducible, clinically executable skill.
In Level 4 you will spend two full days working through that protocol with your own hands — carving anatomical posterior occlusal form, managing incline planes, establishing centric stops, and learning to finalize and balance terminal contacts with jaw tracking and EMG technology.
By the time you leave, orthotic adjustment will never feel uncertain again.
What You Will Learn in Two Days
Occlusal Design Fundamentals
- Introduction to occlusal design schemes — micro-occlusion, proprioceptive signaling, and occlusal treatment
- Classification of occlusal prematurities — understanding the occlusal surfaces
- The value and importance of cusp-fossa relationships, incline planes, and mandibular movements
- Occlusal nomenclature — the language of precision occlusal management
- The importance of anterior disclusion and how it works
Hands-On Orthotic Fabrication and Carving
- Steps to fabricate a lower anatomical removable orthosis following Dr. Chan's step-by-step protocols
- Anatomical carving of posterior occlusal form — systematic, reproducible, and clinically precise
- How to make the anatomical orthosis comfortable in the mouth
- How to prevent flattening the occlusal surfaces and inadvertently grinding the bite
- How to create, design, and maintain anatomical form for optimal stability
Incline Plane and Contact Management
- How to manage the occlusal incline planes with precision and intention
- How to properly establish centric stops for optimal function and occlusal stability
- How to manage lateral excursive interferences without flattening the occlusion
- Why the envelope of function is crucial to comfortable musculature and lasting esthetics
- How to remove torque and imbalances from the mandible using Dental TENS
Instrumentation and Validation
- How to manage the occlusion with instrumentation — objective parameters to measure occlusal balance
- How to finalize and balance terminal contacts with jaw tracking and EMG technology
- Dealing with dual bite case problems
- Troubleshooting occlusal problems — how to determine when and when not to coronoplast
- Why anatomical form is crucial for proper craniomandibular and cervical function
The Highlight of Level 4 — Dr. Chan Demonstrates Live Orthotic Adjustment and Micro-Occlusal Carving
There is a reason clinicians who attend Level 4 consistently describe it as the most transformative hands-on experience in the entire OC curriculum.
Dr. Chan demonstrates live — in precise, step-by-step clinical detail — exactly how he adjusts an orthotic, manages the incline planes, establishes the centric stops, and refines the occlusal scheme using his systematic carving and shaping protocols. You watch. You learn. Then you do it yourself.
This is the course where the clinical knowledge from Levels 1, 2, and 3 comes together in your hands — not just in your understanding.
How Stable Is Your Case? After Level 4, You Will Know How to Make It So.
Understanding GNM is one thing. Executing micro-occlusal precision with confidence — at the chair, on the orthotic, and in every adjustment appointment that follows — is another.
Level 4 gives you the hands-on skills, the systematic protocols, and the clinical precision to answer the stability question with confidence — and to do something about it when the answer is not yet yes.
No more uncertainty at adjustment appointments. No more guessing whether the orthotic is progressing. No more cases that plateau without explanation.
Just precise, systematic, anatomically-grounded micro-occlusal management — the way it should have been taught from the beginning.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify and classify occlusal prematurities and explain their clinical significance in occlusal management
- Apply Dr. Chan's systematic occlusal carving and shaping protocols to fabricate a lower anatomical GNM orthosis
- Establish cusp-fossa relationships, manage incline planes, and design centric stops for optimal occlusal function and stability
- Manage lateral excursive interferences without flattening the occlusal scheme
- Apply Dental TENS to remove torque and imbalances from the mandible during orthotic adjustment
- Utilize jaw tracking and EMG technology to finalize, balance, and validate terminal contacts objectively
- Determine when coronoplasty is indicated and when it is contraindicated
- Explain the role of anterior disclusion in occlusal stability and musculoskeletal health
- Apply micro-occlusal management principles to orthotic reline and adjustment procedures
- Integrate anatomical form design into comprehensive GNM treatment planning
- Steps to fabricate a lower anatomical removable orthosis following Dr. Chan's protocols
- How to make the anatomical orthosis comfortable and functional in the mouth
- Why anatomical form is crucial for proper craniomandibular and cervical function
- How to remove torque and imbalances from the mandible with Dental TENS
- How to manage the occlusal incline planes with precision and intention
- How to properly establish centric stops for optimal function and occlusal stability
- How to prevent flattening the occlusal surfaces and inadvertently grinding the bite
- How to create, design, and maintain anatomical form for optimal stability
- How to manage lateral excursive interferences without flattening the occlusion
- Why the envelope of function is crucial to comfortable musculature and lasting esthetics
- How to finalize and balance terminal contacts with jaw tracking and EMG technology to measure and validate the quality of the bite
About Your Teacher
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 both Gneuromuscular and Neuromuscular 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.
What Doctors Say About Level 4
"Orthotic delivery and adjustment taken to another level — incredible. I have come to expect the unexpected from Clayton and he always delivers. My patients are the benefactors of this training. My expectations of the course were exceeded." — Myles Preble, D.M.D., Salt Lake City, UT
"This was a course that I looked forward to greatly. It did not disappoint — it was better than I had hoped. This is most likely the course that I will apply more than any other. Dr. Chan demystified occlusion. He gives clarity to the subject. The focus on the anatomy and the advanced adjustment techniques make micro-occlusion and coronoplasty an achievable, attainable goal. Thank you." — Stephen W. Durham, D.M.D., Beaufort, SC
"Outstanding course. Completely filled in the gaps in my micro-occlusion knowledge. Excellent demonstrations of orthotic delivery — and all questions were answered. Very well done. Fuels my passion for GNM dentistry. Already looking forward to my next course." — Chris Mohler, D.D.S., Beaufort, SC
"I waited a long time to take Level 4. I returned from the course on Sunday and this week my approach to adjusting orthotics was so different — in a good way — from before. I have delivered and adjusted many orthotics over the years and have had successful results, but this week the patients noticed the improvement in the bite much quicker. I highly recommend Level 4." — Janet Levine, D.M.D., Tarrytown, NY
"Watching Clayton adjust an orthotic is like watching an artist work in his favorite medium. My classmates brought so much insight and experience to the table and Clayton led the way — it was a terrific learning experience." — Bill Greenberg, D.M.D., Mount Holly, NJ
"Another excellent course. All topics were covered and all questions were answered. Dr. Chan always goes to great lengths to ensure that all questions and concerns are addressed. Benefits will be immediate. Every course at OC has met or exceeded my expectations. An exceptional learning experience." — Gregory G. Yount, D.M.D., Mattoon, IL
"What a mind shift. Amazing experience — so much hands-on. Felt like home with an amazing group of doctors. I am so much more confident to go back to my practice and finally resolve through this understanding — in just two days — how to resolve many of my patients not staying on trajectory." — Maria Escoto, D.D.S., Sunny Isles Beach, FL
"Master Dr. Chan, thank you for all your enthusiasm and dedication in teaching me and other OC members what you know that works in occlusion. You painted colors on the many gray areas of my GNM knowledge. I am more encouraged and confident to treat those patients who can benefit from NM treatment. Thank you for graciously answering my numerous questions during the course and helping me with my cases after class. I am so looking forward to attending the next level course. Mrs. Chan, thank you for your first class care and hospitality." — Sam S. Sadati, D.D.S., FAACD, FAGD, Wellington, FL
"Priceless. Awesome. Very helpful. Great environment to learn. No one better. I have never learned so much useful information in so little time." — Andrew J. Krause, D.D.S., New Baltimore, MI
"I would highly recommend this course for all doctors interested in occlusion." — Byron Blasco, D.M.D., Las Vegas, NV
