Craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) and orofacial pain (OP) are highly prevalent in the general population as these syndromes include a large number of pathologies in the craniomandibular and cervical-scapular region (almost 100% of the population will suffer from OP at some point in their lives). Within CMD and OP, the most significant conditions are craniomandibular/cervical muscle disorders and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, neuropathic/neuralgic orofacial pain (mainly trigeminal neuralgia), and headaches (migraines, tension headache, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia). In Spain there is currently very little postgraduate training in the field of CMD and OP, and there is currently no full-time, in-person, official or non-official postgraduate course in this discipline of dentistry.

It is also important to mention that one of the main priorities of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya is research in all areas of knowledge. In this respect, the Master's in CMD and OP focuses on 4 main lines of research:

• Neuropathic and neurovascular pain.
• The importance of psychological factors to temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
• Factors that increase CMD.
• Sleep disorders and oral health.

These lines of research follow current research trends in the foremost scientific institutions in the world in the fields of CMD and OP. One of the objectives of this Master's degree is therefore to encourage scientific curiosity among students by having them prepare literature reviews and plan and carry out clinical studies in some of these areas of research.