Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42220286›Full record

ArticleJournal of oral & facial pain and headache2026

Diagnosis-based pathways for conservative and minimally invasive management of temporomandibular disorders: a scoping review.

Mohammad Gazali, Alfan Maulana Erdiansyah, Husni Mubarak, Abul Fauzi, Andi Tajrin, Hasanuddin Hasanuddin, Muhammad Ruslin

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of oral & facial pain and headache, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Mohammad GazaliDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0009-0006-9839-8361
Alfan Maulana ErdiansyahDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0009-0008-4863-5589
Husni MubarakDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0002-1924-7797
Abul FauziDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0001-7050-4878
Andi TajrinDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0002-4186-7968
Hasanuddin HasanuddinDepartment of Dental Public Health and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0003-2589-1690
Muhammad RuslinDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University, 90245 Makassar, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0003-0943-4000

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) encompass a spectrum of musculoskeletal and joint conditions of the masticatory system that frequently lead to chronic pain, limited function, and reduced quality of life. Although conservative and minimally invasive approaches are recommended as first-line therapies, their comparative efficacy remains unclear.This scoping review mapped evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2015 and 2025 to identify diagnosis-based effective management pathways for TMDs. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases for RCTs published within the last 10 years. Eligible studies included adult patients diagnosed with Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) or Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) categories and compared conservative or minimally invasive treatments reporting pain, function, or psychosocial outcomes. Data were extracted and charted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, and findings were organized into diagnosis-based intervention pathways reflecting first-line, adjunctive, and escalation therapies. A total of 129 RCTs met the inclusion criteria, revealing a stepwise treatment pathway across the diagnostic subtypes. Education, behavioral therapy, and exercise are the first-line management options that improve pain intensity and mandibular function. Splint therapy and other physical modalities can enhance pain modulation. Minimally invasive interventions for refractory cases provide various long-term benefits. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Maximum Mouth Opening (MMO) improvements were the primary outcomes, indicating pain relief and functional recovery as therapeutic endpoints. Overall, the evidence from the past decade supports a diagnosis-driven, stepwise model that emphasizes conservative multimodal care as the cornerstone of TMD management. Minimally invasive procedures should be reserved for persistent pain after optimized non-surgical therapy. Future RCTs should standardize diagnostic and outcome measures to strengthen evidence-based clinical pathways.

Indexed as

Conservative TreatmentTemporomandibular Joint DisordersHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicConservative therapyDC/TMDDiagnostic criteriaMinimally invasive treatmentRDC/TMDTemporomandibular disorders

Identifiers

PMID42220286
PMCPMC13223916

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.