Pain Part 6: Temporomandibular Disorders.

TMDs are a complex collection of conditions which can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life. The aetiology, diagnosis and management of TMDs will be described in this article with the hope of increasing a general dental practitioner's knowledge of these problems, thus helping them to institute simple, initial, conservative therapies for such patients. Diagnosis of TMDs can be simplified by following recent published clinical diagnostic criteria such as those outlined in this article. CPD/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pain and functional disturbances related to TMDs are common and require simple and pragmatic interventions for most patients. After providing a diagnosis, reassure patients that they do not have a sinister disease, and explain that the condition is usually self-limiting.