Short clinical examination for temporomandibular symptoms in general practice

Abstract

Objective: The aims of the study are to assess the reliability of the short clinical examination, and to compare the information gained with a well-known and validated examination, the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD).

Materials and methods: The study comprises 52 consecutive, newly referred patients at their first visit and examination to an Orofacial Pain and TMD Clinic, 15 years and older, mean age 44 years. The patients first answered three screening questions for reported symptoms. The clinical examination was performed using both the short examination and the DC/TMD and the result was compared. Another group of 40 newly referred patients, with similar inclusion criteria, was examined twice according to the short clinical examination by two examiners, and the inter-examiner variation was studied. The protocol of the short clinical examination is described.

Result: The overall agreement between the two methods was fairly good to excellent, as was the degree of agreement between repeated examinations and two examiners using the short clinical examination method. The sensitivity and specificity of the short examination for diagnoses were acceptable to high (with DC/TMD as the golden standard).

Conclusions: The short clinical examination has acceptable reliability and, together with three screening questions, provides enough information about the jaw function to decide whether there is a dysfunction.