The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in expert ratings of quality of magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the temporomandibular joint in 24 patients with suspected anterior disc displacement examined in randomized order at 1.5 and 3.0 T. Parasagittal (closed and opened mouth) and paracoronal sections were performed with a surface coil. Two experienced examiners blinded to patient status and type of MRI diagnosed the images according to position of condyle, position and changes in the signal, and disc shape. In addition, perceptibility of position and disc shape were assessed. A highly significant difference in the perceptibility of disc shape (P < 0.001) and position (P < 0.001) was obtained. With comparable examination sequences and identical resolution, the 3.0 T MRI of the temporomandibular joint increases the perceptibility of joint structures.