New perspectives on painful temporomandibular disorders

Pain and dysfunction of the masticatory system have challenged the dental profession for decades. Recently, a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms paralleled the increase of basic and clinical research focusing on pain in general. Consequently, so-called diagnostic techniques and treatment procedures, based upon hypothetical, sometimes dogmatic, etiological mechanisms, are being increasingly questioned, and the ill-supported thoughts are gradually being replaced by insights resulting from scientific research. The ongoing communication between basic scientists, researchers or practitioners focusing on musculoskeletal pain, and the dental profession, has led to an improved quality of research on pain and dysfunction of the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). This paper will try to review this progress, comment on the clinical implications and give some suggestions for future research.