In March 2010, the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) approved a revision of its 1996 policy statement on the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) that one dental expert calls "the closest thing to date to a true standard of care in this contentious field" (Journal of the American Dental Society, September 2010, Vol. 141:9, pp. 1086-1088).
"This revision is based on a careful review of the literature regarding diagnostic modalities and treatment approaches, and it was vetted through all levels of the AADR Neuroscience Group, the AADR Science Information Committee, the AADR Board of Directors, and, finally, the AADR Council," wrote Charles S. Greene, D.D.S., a clinical professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry and chair of the AADR Neuroscience Group that developed the new TMD statement.
The process took almost three years, he added. The new policy is designed to help ensure that "future patients with TMDs will have a lower risk of experiencing inappropriate treatment and, thus, will more likely to receive the kinds of professional care they actually need," Dr. Greene concluded.
The revised policy statement can be accessed on the AADR website.
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