TMJ Competence Centre

The Edwin Smith Papyrus, dating back some 5,000 years, describes the treatment of fractures of the lower jaw and the temporomandibular joint area using bandages, splints and immobilisation.

It was not until the early 20th century that a new era began when Perthes (1924) and Wassmund (1927) in Germany first advocated surgical procedures for the treatment of temporomandibular joint injuries. This sparked a debate that continues to this day: ‘should treatment be conservative or surgical?’.

In 1934, Reichenbach introduced functional orthodontics as an effective treatment concept.

In the decades that followed, surgical treatment steadily gained in importance. New techniques, improved instruments and a deeper understanding of the biomechanics of the temporomandibular joint significantly expanded the range of therapeutic options.

Despite centuries of experience and decades of scientific research, there are still no globally recognised and universally applicable standards for the treatment of many disorders and injuries of the temporomandibular joint.

For this reason, the International Association of TMJ (IATMJ) was founded in 2026 to bring together scientists, surgeons, orthodontists, radiologists, physiotherapists and all disciplines involved in the temporomandibular joint.

The aim is to teach international standards developed on the basis of scientific evidence and to train dentists and medical practitioners accordingly, thereby benefiting patients worldwide. In doing so, we place particular emphasis on the surgical techniques of Prof. Yang from Shanghai. He was the first to recognise the far-reaching negative consequences of anterior disc displacement on the growth and development of the lower jaw and the temporomandibular joint. Furthermore, he developed the necessary surgical procedures, including endoscopic surgery with appropriate instruments, to treat these conditions specifically and to preserve the functional development of the temporomandibular joint.