Objective To assess the evidence of Cochrane systematic reviews on the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) as well as the methodological quality of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the included systematic reviews. Methods The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2008) was searched for systematic reviews on the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. The risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors. Results Three systematic reviews involving 25 RCTs were included. The methods of 23 studies were rated as of lower quality with high risk of various biases. Only 2 studies were of high quality. Conclusion There is insufficient or inconsistent evidence to support the use of hyaluronate, occlusal adjustment, and stabilization splint therapy for the treatment of TMD. The overall quality of RCTs about the treatment of TMD is generally low. Analysis of the included trials showed that some trials had no clear description of randomization methods, allocation concealment, sample size calculation, and intention-to-treat analysis. To improve the quality of the reporting of RCTs, clinical trial registration and the revised Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement should be introduced into the trial design and strictly followed.
