Hamburg TMJ screening: the clinical examination
This page explains how a clinician performs a brief screening examination of jaw function. It describes the six clinical checks and how their findings guide further assessment.
Clinical screening
Hamburg screening: what the clinician checks
The Hamburg screening (CMD-Kurzbefund by Ahlers and Jakstat) is a brief clinical examination of six findings. It helps identify whether a more detailed functional assessment is needed.
- Symmetry of opening
- The clinician checks whether the lower jaw deviates to one side as the mouth opens.
- Range of opening
- Checks for restricted mouth opening.
- Joint sounds
- Notes clicking or grating during jaw movement.
- Sounds when the teeth meet
- Assesses the sound of tooth contact, separately from sounds in the joint.
- Muscle tenderness
- Checks for pain when the chewing muscles are palpated.
- Tooth contacts during movement
- Checks for interfering contacts as the lower jaw moves sideways and forwards.
The clinician performs these checks during your visit and interprets them alongside your symptoms and a full examination. The findings help identify which aspects of jaw function need a more detailed assessment.
Source: Harhoff et al., 2024 — Materials and methods ↗What happens during the checks
Movement and opening range
I observe the lower-jaw path during repeated opening and closing, measure opening and ask where pain occurs. Recording the baseline gives us findings to compare at a follow-up visit.
Joint sounds and sounds of tooth contact
A click during movement and a sound when the teeth meet belong to different checks. I ask whether the sound comes with pain or episodes of locking. This helps me understand when the click occurs and whether it interferes with movement.
Muscles and contacts during movement
I gently press on the chewing muscles to check for tenderness and ask whether the pain feels like the pain you usually experience. I also assess tooth contacts during forward and sideways movements. Together these observations help guide a detailed functional examination.
How findings guide the next assessment
After screening, I relate the findings to your main complaint. When muscle pain predominates, I examine the muscles and the circumstances of loading in more detail. Restricted movement calls for a closer look at its onset, locking episodes and joint condition. Restorative planning involves detailed assessment of tooth contacts and the records needed for model work.
After the examination, I explain what I found and whether further investigations are needed. Hamburg screening is part of the initial assessment. I make a diagnosis using your medical history, the full examination and any additional investigations.
Understanding the screening examination
Can I perform Hamburg screening myself?
This is a clinical screening examination. A clinician assesses jaw movements, sounds, muscle tenderness on palpation and tooth contacts. Online answers cannot reproduce this examination.
What do the findings mean?
The findings highlight aspects of jaw movement, muscle function and tooth contact that need attention. They guide further assessment; the diagnosis and treatment plan are based on the complete diagnostic work-up.