Background: In the United States and Canada, there are no specific curriculum guidelines for predoctoral dental education in the field of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). This situation has the potential to cause confusion for new graduates.
Methods: The authors sent an 11-question survey regarding predoctoral teaching of TMDs to the appropriate faculty members in all U.S. and Canadian dental schools either electronically or via the postal service between June and December 2005.
Results: Predoctoral teaching of TMD--both didactic and clinical aspects--has progressed. Some schools, however, do not address these topics adequately, while others teach outdated concepts.
Conclusions: Both qualitative and quantitative standards are needed to ensure that all predoctoral dental students learn about the diagnosis and treatment of nondental orofacial pain problems. Practice Implications. Owing to the lack of standardized predoctoral teaching of TMD, U.S. or Canadian patients with TMD or facial pain are at risk when seeking appropriate primary care for their problems.