title: Psychosocial and behavioral assessment of patients with temporomandibular disorders: diagnostic and treatment implications.
abstract: The literature on chronic pain reveals that several psychosocial and behavioral factors, in addition to physical pathology, play a role in reports of pain and disability. Therefore it is important to assess patients more broadly rather than focus exclusively on physical pathology. Understanding and treatment of temporomandibular disorders has been impeded by the lack of agreement on a classification system with which to make a differential diagnosis. Research supports the appropriateness of a dual-diagnostic approach for temporomandibular disorders based on physical and psychological axes. Treatment should be directed toward the physical diagnoses supplemented by treatment that targets relevant psychosocial characteristics. This approach encourages diagnosticians to think in terms of the two relevant axes and to customize treatment to physical and psychosocial characteristics and thus should foster better outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D017090:Occlusal Splints; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy