Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • General
  • Published:

A commentary on Temporomandibular disorders: priorities for research and care - bridging from the US to the UK

British Dental Journal volume 233, pages 232–233 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

In January 2019, the United States National Academy of Medicine initiated a comprehensive study of the status of current knowledge and clinical practices associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The National Academy of Sciences, which includes the National Academy of Medicine, was chartered by the US Government in the late 1800s as a non-profit institution working outside of government in order to provide unbiased, objective opinions on matters including healthcare. In this brief paper, we will discuss the open access 2020 report Temporomandibular disorders: priorities for research and care, available online. While the main focus of this report was the situation of TMDs in the US, the evidence base, authorship, expertise and literature scope was international and the findings therefore are at least in part generalisable to and important for the UK.

The authors of this commentary were directly involved in the National Academy process, with RO a panel member, JD a consultant and CG one of 15 reviewers of the draft report. There was a wide variety of clinical and research fields involved in gathering the evidence and constructing the report. In addition, there was extensive involvement from affected patients with TMDs and their families, which is critical because their perspective is typically omitted in textbooks and professional consensus meetings.

Key points

  • The report on TMDs from the US National Academy of Medicine is a seminal book describing the problems that individuals with TMDs confront for diagnosis and treatment.

  • The situation in the UK, according to UK colleagues, is similar with regards to challenges.

  • The UK has implemented a number of initiatives to provide better diagnosis and treatment; identifying these excellent efforts in relation to the disease challenges is valuable.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine. Temporomandibular Disorders: Priorities for Research and Care. Washington: The National Academies Press, 2020.

  2. Greene C S, Manfredini D. Treating Temporomandibular Disorders in the 21st Century: Can We Finally Eliminate the "Third Pathway". J Oral Facial Pain Headache 2020; 34: 206-216.

  3. Zakrzewska J M. Differential diagnosis of facial pain and guidelines for management. Br J Anaesth 2013; 111: 95-104.

  4. Durham J, Shen J, Breckons M et al. Healthcare Cost and Impact of Persistent Orofacial Pain: The DEEP Study Cohort. J Dent Res 2016; 95: 1147-1154.

  5. Durham J, Newton-John T R O, Zakrzewska J M. Temporomandibular disorders. BMJ 2015; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h1154.

  6. Aggarwal V R, Joughin A, Zakrzewska J, Appelbe P, Tickle M. Dentists' preferences for diagnosis, management and referral of chronic oro-facial pain: Results from a national survey. Health Educ J 2012; 71: 662-669.

  7. Breckons M, Shen J, Bunga J, Vale L, Durham J. DEEP study: Indirect and Out-of-pocket Costs of Persistent Orofacial Pain. J Dent Res 2018; 97: 1200-1206.

  8. NHS England. Getting It Right First Time national report on hospital dentistry. Available at https://www.gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/medical-specialties/hospital-dentistry/ (accessed July 2022).

  9. Durham J, Ohrbach R. Oral rehabilitation, disability and dentistry. J Oral Rehabil 2010; 37: 490-494.

  10. Durham J, Al-Baghdadi M, Baad-Hansen L et al. Self-management programmes in temporomandibular disorders: results from an international Delphi process. J Oral Rehabil 2016; 43: 929-936.

  11. Story W P, Durham J, Al-Baghdadi M, Steele J, Araujo-Soares V. Self-management in temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review of behavioural components. J Oral Rehabil 2016; 43: 759-770.

  12. Aggarwal V R, Fu Y, Main C J, Wu J. The effectiveness of self-management interventions in adults with chronic orofacial pain: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Eur J Pain 2019; 23: 849-865.

  13. Aggarwal V R, Wu J, Fox F, Howdon D, Guthrie E, Mighell A. Implementation of biopsychosocial supported self-management for chronic primary oro-facial pain including temporomandibular disorders: A theory, person and evidence-based approach. J Oral Rehabil 2021; 48: 1118-1128.

  14. NewcastleHospitals. What to do about jaw pain. 2021. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpY37aMOMY&list=PL0Zkwya_9eK9dUJbeyARqIxupd8i53EbJ&index=7 (accessed September 2021).

  15. NewcastleHospitals. Self-management for temporomandibular disorders. 2021. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfjdyWoRwNw&list=PL0Zkwya_9eK9dUJbeyARqIxupd8i53EbJ&index=3 (accessed September 2021).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Head and Professor/Honorary Consultant Oral Surgeon, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, UK

    Justin Durham

  2. Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Orthodontics, UIC College of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Charles Greene

  3. Professor, Oral Diagnostic Sciences, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Richard Ohrbach

Authors
  1. Justin Durham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Charles Greene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard Ohrbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Justin Durham drafted the initial manuscript, Richard Ohrbach revised, and Charles Greene did final editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Ohrbach.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Durham, J., Greene, C. & Ohrbach, R. A commentary on Temporomandibular disorders: priorities for research and care - bridging from the US to the UK. Br Dent J 233, 232–233 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4501-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-4501-6

Search

Advanced search

Quick links