ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In 2000, the interdisciplinary Working Group of Orofacial Pain within the German Chapter of the IASP (German Association for the Study of Pain) published recommendations for the standardized evaluation and diagnostic classification of patients with painful masticatory muscles and/or temporomandibular joints. The purpose of the present study was to critically review and update these recommendations. RESULTS: Appraisal of the relevant literature published after the release of the recommendations (up to December 2005) shows that the two-axis approach for the assessment of the somatic and psychosocial parameters of the orofacial pain experience has found wide support. Single aspects of the recommendations have been substantiated by additional scientific evidence. CONCLUSIONS: The recommendations reflect the current state of pain medicine. Therefore, they should be considered among practitioners who diagnose and manage patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders.
