Temporomandibular disorder content in the curricula of physical therapist professional programs in the United States.

Objective

To describe the status of entry-level physical therapist (PT) education related to the diagnosis and management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in accredited, entry-level United States PT programs.

Methods

An electronic survey explored specific TMD diagnostic and management curricular content, including the use of evidence-based diagnostic criteria, opportunities for students to interact with individuals with TMD, and faculty qualifications.

Results

Eighty-four programs completed the survey. TMD content is covered in the entry-level PT curriculum of almost all (98.8%) responding programs. Content specifically related to TMD averaged 12 h across program respondents (range 1.5-50 h). The majority (68%) of respondents utilized established evidence-based diagnostic criteria. Discussion: Consistent entry-level education guidelines related to TMD and additional post-professional education opportunities are necessary to ensure that patients with TMD are not underserved by the profession of PT by newly graduated PTs.