The usefulness of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory in the clinical management of patients with temporomandibular disorders.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a useful instrument in the process of evaluating certain patients with chronic orofacial pain. Since the MMPI is time-consuming and difficult for some patients, it is not likely to be useful as a general screening test for psychological factors involved in chronic orofacial pain. It provides valuable information about diagnostic issues such as the degree of emotional distress in patients and it can be helpful in identifying patients who may need additional attention to their psychological problems that are not addressed in the usual dental management. Cultural differences need to be considered in order to make appropriate use of the English language versions in countries outside the United States. In addition, translations of the MMPI are available but must be used with knowledge of the accuracy and applicability of the translated version.