The Dental Practice Act Committee of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain was convened in 1995 for the purpose of studying the scope of temporomandibular disorders (TMD)/orofacial pain and dental practice acts. The committee concluded that the scope of clinical practice of TMD/orofacial pain is expanding beyond the teeth and oral cavity to include the diagnosis and treatment of disorders aff ecting the entire head and neck. The expansion of clinical practice is consistent with historical precedent in dentistry and within the scope of current dental practice acts. The present report represents the posiiton of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.