Knowledge and beliefs regarding temporomandibular disorders among orthodontists.

Introduction: This project was undertaken to accomplish 2 objectives: (1) to identify whether there is a discrepancy between orthodontists and experts in temporomandibular disorders (TMD) related to diagnosis and treatment of TMD patients, and (2) to influence the manner in which TMD curricula are taught in orthodontic residency programs, better preparing future orthodontic specialists to diagnose and treat (and refer) patients with TMD.

Methods: A survey invitation was e-mailed to 8870 members of the American Association of Orthodontists. Items were answered on a 6-point scale (0 = I don't know; 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree; 3 = neutral; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree).