Surveying Websites Without Any Study of the Efficacy of Occlusal Therapy

The following is hot off the press!

Daniel Laskin, a recognized proponent of the psychosocial model of TMD and the long time co-author of Charles Greene made this conclusion from the study of the web sites of dental practices: “ Since these findings are not in line with current concepts about TMDs, significant inaccuracies exist with regard to the diagnosis and management of TMDs on dental practice websites.”

They reached this conclusion by “surveying websites” without any study of the efficacy of occlusal therapy nor any objective study of the efficacy of “current concepts in TMD”. As usual, they produced no data on the veracity of their own treatment of TMD. Of course their other publications document their treatment protocols that consist of providing no-treatment while waiting for a supposed self-limiting disorder to resolve or their recommendation of home self-care, psychological/psychiatric and/or pharmacological management of TMD.

– Fray Adib

What they mean is: “These psychosocial advocates are acting to set the Psychosocial model as THE standard of TMD/orofacial pain care. If you promote any other methodology you are committing a fraud on you patients and you treatment of them is malpractice by THEIR definition.” So when Greene and Laskin state: “practitioners need to be prepared to deal with the issues raised by misinformed patients.” , we must read this as meaning “prepared to be sued if you do not follow our lead!”

This is another article in a long series of articles they have published to support their goal to set the standard of care. Did you also notice that in their study of TMD specialists “Over two-thirds of the 255 dental providers identified who advertised management of TMDs on their websites were general dentists”. So the authors decided, on their own, that the remaining providers (nearly 1/3), were legitimate TMD “specialists”!!

What criteria were used to identify these specialists?

You can bet that in their mind non AAOP (American Academy of Orofacial Pain) members just do not have the qualifications. This is exactly why the TMD Alliance has waged a 20 + year campaign against “TMD specialty”.

Here is the Psychosocial Publication Designed to Reset the Standards of TMD

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. September 2016 Volume 122, Issue 3, Pages 306–309

How accurate is information about diagnosis and management of temporomandibular disorders on dentist websites?

Bhavik Desa

Bhavik Desai

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Affiliations

Assistant Professor, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Oral Medicine Division, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

Correspondence

Reprint requests: Bhavik Desai, DMD, PhD, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, 1 Kneeland Street, 6th floor, Boston, MA, USA

, DMD, PhD Naser Alkandari

Naser Alkandari

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Affiliations

Resident, Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

, DDS, Daniel M. Laskin

Daniel M. Laskin

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Affiliations

Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA, USA

, DDS, MS

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of information provided on websites of dental practices about the diagnosis and management temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) because patients often use the Internet to get information about their condition and to seek a practitioner for treatment.

Study Design

A web search was done to identify the types of dental providers who advertise themselves on the Internet as “specialists” in the management of TMDs. Issues that were analyzed included their classification of these disorders, the presumed etiology of such problems, and the types of treatment offered.

Results

Over two-thirds of the 255 dental providers identified who advertised management of TMDs on their websites were general dentists. TMDs were attributed to occlusal problems or malocclusion on 66.7% of the websites and were labeled as a single disorder rather than a group of disorders on 38.8% of the websites. Recommendations to treat occlusal problems or malocclusion to alleviate TMDs were made by 54.5% of the providers.

Conclusions

Since these findings are not in line with current concepts about TMDs, significant inaccuracies exist with regard to the diagnosis and management of TMDs on dental practice websites. Therefore, patients need to be concerned about the dentists they may select to get their treatment, and practitioners need to be prepared to deal with the issues raised by misinformed patients.