Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

ADULT

  • If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

    • No referrals to emergency relating to this condition
    • Assessment and management information may be found on a range of conditions at HealthPathways
    • Mouth opening measurement is a simple and valuable assessment that involves using a ruler to measure the distance between the upper and lower front teeth at maximum mouth opening. This measurement provides critical information about the severity of the patient’s condition and helps guide appropriate triaging and management.
    • Where appropriate and available, non-urgent referrals may be sent to public Physiotherapy-led Screening Clinics for initial assessment and management.  A surgical assessment may then be arranged or ruled out.
    • Consider referral to dentist if there is poor dental health, suspected malocclusion or dental pathology, or for consideration of an occlusal splint
    • Consider referral to Psychology services for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), if there is marked psychological distress or to help with pain-related anxiety
    • Consider referral to Physiotherapy for advice on passive jaw stretching exercises, posture training, and massage, or acupuncture to help relax muscle spasm
Minimum Referral Criteria
Category 1
(appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Acute TMJ injuries
  • Acute unexplained limitation of mouth opening, with or without associated pain
Category 2
(appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Recurrent dislocation
Category 3
(appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Chronic TMD symptoms persisting for more than three months despite appropriate primary care management or community-based non-surgical care, including behavioural strategies, physiotherapy, dental care and/or psychology care
  • Uncertain diagnosis requiring Maxillofacial assessment
  • Marked psychological distress associated with symptoms and/or occlusal preoccupation (persistent hyper-awareness or hypervigilance of their bite)
  • Chronic TMJ dysfunction (osteoarthropathies)
  • Ongoing pain without clear cause, including chronic or widespread discomfort

Please insert the below information and minimum referral criteria into referral

1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention
  • For advice and management
  • For specialist to take over management
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Any obvious known arthropathy
  • Plain imaging of OPG open and closed views
  • Mouth opening measures* between the teeth (cm/fingers) including whether patient has:
    • Pain lateral condyle TMJ
    • Masseter pain/tenderness
    • Temporalis pain/tenderness
    • Headaches
    • Neck pain
    • Shoulder pain
    • Any other history of arthropathy of other joints
    • History of autoimmune disorders with joint involvement
    • Previous trauma joints
    • Previous surgery on TMJ trauma/surgery
    • Ear examination
    • Previous history of facial pain syndromes

    * Mouth opening measurement: Use a ruler to measure the distance (in centimetres or fingers) between the upper and lower front teeth at maximum mouth opening.

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • CT face results

4. Request

  • Patient's Demographic Details

    • Full name (including aliases)
    • Date of birth
    • Residential and postal address
    • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
    • Medicare number (where eligible)
    • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
    • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
    • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

    Referring Practitioner Details

    • Full name
    • Full address
    • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
    • Provider number
    • Date of referral
    • Signature
    • Relevant clinical information about the condition
    • Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)

    Physical findings

    • Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
    • Body mass index (BMI)
    • Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
    • Current medications and dosages
    • Drug allergies
    • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

    Reason for request

    • To establish a diagnosis
    • For treatment or intervention
    • For advice and management
    • For specialist to take over management
    • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
    • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
    • Reassurance for the patient/family
    • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
    • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

    Clinical modifiers

    • Impact on employment
    • Impact on education
    • Impact on home
    • Impact on activities of daily living
    • Impact on ability to care for others
    • Impact on personal frailty or safety
    • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

    Other relevant information

    • Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
    • Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
    • Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

  • If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

    • Please note that where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service.  Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated public allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.
    • A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating, or becoming pregnant) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.
    • Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.

Last updated: 28 September 2026

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