The scope of TMD/orofacial pain (head and neck pain management) in contemporary dental practice

Abstract

The Dental Practice Act Committee of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain was convened in 1995 for the purpose of studying the scope of temporomandibular disorders (TMD)/orofacial pain and dental practice acts. The committee concluded that the scope of clinical practice of TMD/orofacial pain is expanding beyond the teeth and oral cavity to include the diagnosis and treatment of disorders aff ecting the entire head and neck.