Especially before orthodontic or dental restorative treatment, patients should be screened for temporomandibular dysfunction. A short clinical screening battery of six tests requiring a simple 'Yes' or 'No' response was developed based on Krogh and Poulsen's method for initial functional diagnosis of the masticatory system. Ahlers and Jakstat confirmed the scientific reliability of the new screening instrument. Establishing the presence or absence of physiological centric relation is an important element of this test, and is the basis of further restorative and orthodontic treatment decision making. Schlagwörter: cotton roll test, physiological centric relation, physiology and functional pathology of the masticatory system, short screening for temporomandibular disorders