One Minute Screening


Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Friday: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm 405/321-8030
One-Minute TMD Screening TMJ-related pain and dysfunction often go undiagnosed. If you suffer from head, neck or facial pain, your dentist or physician can use these questions to quickly assess your potential for a TMJ disorder. Ask: Does either jaw joint make noise (grating, grinding, clicking or popping)? Does the jaw ever catch or lock? Is there frequent pain in any of the following areas? Ear Face Head Neck Shoulder Jaw Examine: Palpate the TMJs while the patient opens and closes. Place your little fingers in the ear canals and apply pressure to the anterior walls of the canals. You will be able to palpate the lateral 1/3 of the condyles. Normal: smooth movement, no noise, no jumping, no pain. Measure mandibular range of motion. Normal opening: 48-52mm intrinsically with no pain. (Equivalent of first three fingers on edge between front teeth) Lateral movements: 10mm or greater. No dyskinesia Palpate muscles for tenderness: Temporalis? Masseter? Sternocleidomastoid? Posterior cervicals? Though not all patients presenting signs or symptoms of a TMJ disorder should necessarily proceed with further diagnosis and treatment, most will benefit from careful work up and, if indicated, proper management. This is especially true if no other specific medical diagnosis can be made. We welcome your professional inquiries and hope this screening is helpful to you in the management of your patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction and/or craniofacial pain.

Monday – Thursday:
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday:
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
405/321-8030

One-Minute TMD Screening

TMJ-related pain and dysfunction often go undiagnosed. If you suffer from head, neck or facial pain, your dentist or physician can use these questions to quickly assess your potential for a TMJ disorder.

Ask:

Does either jaw joint make noise (grating, grinding, clicking or popping)?
Does the jaw ever catch or lock?
Is there frequent pain in any of the following areas?
- Ear
- Face
- Head
- Neck
- Shoulder
- Jaw

Examine:

Palpate the TMJs while the patient opens and closes.
- Place your little fingers in the ear canals and apply pressure to the anterior walls of the canals. You will be able to palpate the lateral 1/3 of the condyles.
- Normal: smooth movement, no noise, no jumping, no pain.
Measure mandibular range of motion.
- Normal opening: 48-52mm intrinsically with no pain. (Equivalent of first three fingers on edge between front teeth)
- Lateral movements: 10mm or greater. No dyskinesia
Palpate muscles for tenderness:
- Temporalis?
- Masseter?
- Sternocleidomastoid?
- Posterior cervicals?

Though not all patients presenting signs or symptoms of a TMJ disorder should necessarily proceed with further diagnosis and treatment, most will benefit from careful work up and, if indicated, proper management. This is especially true if no other specific medical diagnosis can be made. We welcome your professional inquiries and hope this screening is helpful to you in the management of your patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction and/or craniofacial pain.

Copyright © 2005 Craniofacial Pain Associates of Oklahoma, Inc. All rights reserved. 448 36th Avenue N.W., Suite 103, Norman OK 73072 • 800/622-1974 or 405/321-8030 (ph) • 405/321-2108 (fax)