Authors
Bernardo Correia Lima, Rayan Eboli Fortunato, Leonardo Metello Brigido Metello, Ricardo Grillo, Mariana Aparedida Brozoski, Fernando Melhem-Elias, Janey Prodoehl, Louis G Mercuri
Published in
Journal of oral rehabilitation. Aug 26, 2026. Epub Aug 26, 2026.
Abstract
Diagnostic errors in temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) contribute to unnecessary procedures and avoidable patient mismanagement despite advances in pain science, diagnostic classification systems, and evidence-based care.
To conduct a narrative review and present a dynamic, five-domain framework explaining how diagnostic uncertainty interacts with educational, cognitive, systemic, and ethical factors to produce iatrogenic overtreatment.
Searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (inception to April 2026) identified literature on TMD diagnosis, clinical reasoning, dental education, health system organization, and bioethics. Concepts were synthesized into interacting thematic domains.
Five dynamic, interacting domains were identified: (1) Educational Deficits, (2) Structural Reductionism, (3) Occlusal Overinterpretation, (4) System Fragmentation, and (5) Ethical Dissonance. The model demonstrates how educational gaps foster reductionist diagnostic paradigms, which are amplified by health-system silos and defensive clinical practices, increasing the likelihood of non-indicated, irreversible interventions.
The Five-Domain Framework offers a systemic model for understanding diagnostic breakdown in TMD management, providing a structured foundation for educational reform, integrated care pathways, and future empirical research.
PMID:
42648889
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Aug 2026.
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