The TMJ Training Programme

A Comprehensive TMJ Surgery Training System — From Fundamentals to Surgical Mastery

A key strength of the TMJ Training Programme lies in its ability to integrate surgeons from diverse specialities — general dentists, orthodontists, primary oral surgeons, and advanced maxillofacial specialists — into a structured, tiered, and certified training pathway. The curriculum is deliberately designed to guide trainees from foundational principles to advanced surgical skills, ensuring safe, evidence-based progression.

To enhance global accessibility, the programme is supported by TMJ Education Centres across Asia and Europe. These centres serve as hubs for hands-on learning, simulation practice, cadaveric training, and faculty development. Complementing these physical centres, the programme offers online theoretical modules and blended-learning formats, enabling trainees worldwide to access supplementary courses and core modules regardless of location.

At each stage, participants engage with clinical case studies rigorously selected from one of the world's largest TMJ surgery databases, ensuring that both theoretical understanding and practical skills are grounded in authentic clinical experience. Through this comprehensive and accessible structure, the programme offers a clear, standardised, and academically validated pathway to mastering modern TMJ surgical techniques.

Certification — Recognising Competence at Each Level

All case-based learning is directly linked to the course certification pathway issued by the German Surgical Foundation. Upon completing each level, participants receive:

• A level-specific certificate reflecting demonstrated competence
• Eligibility for advanced modules and clinical immersion placements
• International academic and professional recognition

This structured certification ensures that trainees do not “skip steps”, but instead follow a carefully designed, safe, competency-driven learning pathway.

A Tiered Curriculum Designed for Progressive Skill Development

I. Supplementary Programme — Fundamentals of TMJ and Craniofacial Function

Target audience: General dentists, orthodontists, oral surgery residents, and clinicians new to TMJ research.

Content overview: Case studies illustrate TMJ biomechanics, CBCT/MRI interpretation, early TMD patterns, and functional analysis, preparing trainees for advanced diagnostic reasoning in the core modules. Essential interdisciplinary foundations include:

• Occlusion, orthodontics, and their relationship to temporomandibular joint biomechanics
• Fundamentals of CBCT and MRI, with emphasis on TMD imaging interpretation
• Craniofacial trauma and deformities and their relationship to TMJ pathology
• Digital planning workflow (VSP) and virtual joint-position assessment
• TMJ pathology, examination techniques, and functional assessment

[ Course page link provided below ]

II. Core Module — Core Concepts in TMJ Surgical Management I

Target audience: Clinicians with foundational knowledge of the temporomandibular joint who seek structured diagnostic capabilities prior to pursuing surgical pathways.

Content overview: Case studies guide learners through differential diagnosis, disc-position analysis, functional assessment, conservative-treatment principles, and the transition from non-surgical to surgical indications. Core competencies include:

• Comprehensive TMJ diagnosis, symptom assessment, and functional analysis
• Interpretation of advanced imaging, including MRI-based disc evaluation
• Conservative and minimally invasive treatment strategies
• Evidence-based decision-making frameworks for selecting surgical indications

[ Course page link provided below ]

III. Professional Module — Core Concepts in TMJ Surgery II

Target audience: Surgeons preparing to enter advanced temporomandibular joint surgical training, including endoscopic, arthroscopic, open, and reconstructive procedures.

Course overview: Trainees analyse the complete surgical workflow, with emphasis on intraoperative decision-making, suturing and instrumentation, the VSP workflow, and multidisciplinary TMJ-orthognathic reconstruction planning. The advanced course includes:

• Endoscopic disc reduction using the patented instruments and suture systems of the Yang method
• Arthroscopic procedures, from intermediate therapeutic interventions to advanced techniques
• Open joint surgery and total joint replacement (TJR), including custom-prosthesis planning
• Hybrid endoscopic simulation training to master skills before performing live procedures
• Complex case planning integrating digital workflows, VSP, and multidisciplinary collaboration

[ Course page link provided below ]

IV. Mini-Residency — Advanced TMJ Surgery Immersion Training (6-day clinical placement)

Target audience: Surgeons who have completed the prior modules and are ready for live clinical exposure.

Content description: Trainees participate in live surgical observation, VSP planning meetings, postoperative follow-up, and multidisciplinary case discussions, integrating all prior theoretical and simulation training with real clinical workflows and patient outcomes. Training takes place at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, one of the world's leading centres for TMJ surgical volume:

• Observation of numerous TMJ surgeries, including endoscopic, arthroscopic, and reconstructive procedures
• Participation in virtual surgical planning (VSP) meetings and occlusal simulations
• Participation in case-board reviews and multidisciplinary discussions with the Director's TMJ team
• Hands-on involvement in clinical workflows, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical surgical pathways

[ Application link for the small-group placement provided below ]