Temporomandibular disorders: the past,present, and future

This article traces the history of the development of the current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the management of temporomandibular disorders, with emphasis on the mistakes or misconceptions that occurred during their development and the lessons that can be learned from these errors. It also makes recommendations for future areas of investigation, and methods for facilitating such studies, in order to improve the future treatment of these patients. Based on a lecture entitled “Temporomandibular Disorders: The Past, Present and Future” presented at the 1st International and 19th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of the Temporomandibular Joint, Nagoya, Japan, July 19, 2006.