TMD DIAGNOSTIC DECISION-MAKING AND PROBABILITY-THEORY .2.

As it specifically pertains to temporomandibular disorders (TMD), this article is an educational analysis and discussion of some recently pr oposed diagnostic criteria, diagnostic methods, and diagnostic decisio n processes, On the basis of a discussion of classic probability theor y, classic measurement theory, and examples using nonparametric infere ntial statistical tests, it is suggested that certain TMD diagnostic c riteria and methods, and their associated decision matrix, favor subje ctive clinical opinions (largely pseudoscientific observations) and ar bitrary clinical indices rather than objective scientific facts.