Practice Test for the DANB Dental Assistant Exam

32 teeth make up a permanent dentition.

Canine teeth are sometimes called "eye teeth."

Mesial is the closest proximal tooth surface toward the midline of the body.

8 premolars exist in a permanent dentition

Quadrants are the four parts when a mouth is divided into four sections: upper right, lower right, upper left and lower left.

Tooth #12 is the maxillary left first premolar.

Maxillary left second premolar is #25 when using the ISO system of tooth recording

Periodontal ligament is the connective tissue fibers that encircle the tooth, attaching the cementum to the alveolar bone.

Diagonal lines through the crown indicate a restoration made of gold material

Black ink is appropriate for charting treatment completed by a previous provider

Diastema - a space between the upper central incisors

Measure for 30 seconds, then multiply by 2, for a rate per minute.

40 mm Hg should be added to the brachial pulse rate in order to determine the inflation level during a blood pressure reading.

10-20 is the average adult respiration rate.

60-100 bpm is the normal pulse rate in a resting adult.

General dental assistant guidelines recommend that dental practices keep a signed privacy policy in a patients file for at least 6 years. Some state laws set the minimum at 5 years.

Health history review is not a part of a dental examination> However it should be considered when assessing the patient's needs.

Class V decay is smooth surface decay located on the gingival third of affected teeth.

Incisors (and canines) are the only teeth to be diagnosed with class IV decay.

CEJ - cementoenamel junction is the junction of tooth enamel with cementum at the neck or cervix of the tooth.

Epithelial attachment is the gingiva that covers alveolar bone and attaches to teeth at the margin of the gumlines.

Septum is the tissue that divides a nasal cavity through the middle into 2 parts.

Trigeminal nerve is the main nerve supply to the mouth. It has both maxillary and mandibular innervation.

Endocrine is the system which regulates glands that produce hormones, including the pituitary gland.

Supine is when the patient is lowered until almost lying down

Clock concept - dividing the treatment area into zones help to identify appropriate working positions.

A dental assistant should transfer the instrument with the working end facing themselves. This allows the dentist to receive the instrument in a way that allows immediate use without the need for adjustment.

The last 2 fingers of the hand are used for retrieving instruments from the operator

2-4 is the "time zone" that most dental assistants will spend the majority of their time in during procedures.

Assistant's stools have a foot bar for support.

The High Volume Evacuator tips should be placed slightly distal to the tooth being prepared. This frees up operator line of sight and is more efficient at saliva removal.

Dental dam is an appropriate isolation method for one or several teeth.

No. 3 hole punches are appropriate for premolar and canines when preparing a dental dam.

Moisten a dry cotton roll with water before removal, to prevent cotton from adhering to the dry mucosa in the mouth.

Anemia is not a contraindication for the use of N2O2.

Reservoir bag is the chamber that houses the 2 gases for combination prior to the patient drawing them in for a breath.

5 minutes is the appropriate length of time for patients to remain on 100% oxygen after having been administered nitrous oxide during a treatment procedure.

Both a and b are appropriate methods for needle re-capping and recommended by the CDC.

Mandibular block injections require the use of the "long" needle.

Infiltration is the technique that is used when injecting anesthetic around a tooth to affect the tissues around and near the apex of the tooth.

Joint replacement is not a health concern to be considered when selecting the form of local anesthetic to use.

Vasoconstrictors act by constricting the blood vessels thereby decreasing blood flow in the area and lengthening the amount of time that the local anesthetic is active in that location.

2-5 minutes is the appropriate length of time that a topical anesthetic should be left on the mucosa before injections for local anesthetic.

Diamond stones are added to the working surfaces of burs, to improve cutting ability.

A flame-shaped bur would be an appropriate option to place on a crown-prep tray, as it is used to help make adjustments in crown preparations.

Prophy angles are used on low speed handpieces.

A high-speed handpiece operate at up to speeds of 450,000 rpm.

Diskoid/cleoid is used to carve the amalgam into an anatomical appearance on the occlusal surface of teeth.

Fluoridation is not a step in sealant placement. Sealant placement includes isolation, preparation, conditioning, placement and curing.

Dentin is not appropriate for the use of bristle brush prophy angles because they are very abrasive on the soft dentin's surface.

Extrinsic stains are those on the outer surface of the teeth, which may be polished or scaled off.

Selective polishing - or only polishing teeth where stain is visible on the functional crown, should be polished.

A gingival retraction cord extends the impression area slightly below the finished preparation. This widens the sulcus area around the tooth and gently pushes the gums back for a more accurate impression.

Saturating the retraction cord in astringent and vasoconstrictor helps to control hemorrhage during a crown prep procedure by constricting blood vessels near the cord.

Periodontal disease which may threaten remaining teeth would contraindicate a partial denture. This is because the patient may be at risk to lose these teeth and then be in need of another appliance, such as a full denture.

A saddle is the metal mesh which extends over the alveolar ridge to support artificial teeth, and covered in acrylic.

Teeth should be wet during shade matching - teeth appear a different shade when they are completely dry and this shade would not be appropriate for matching the rest of the teeth as they will always be coated in saliva.

Core buildups are made of amalgam and used to add enough structural support to hold a fixed restoration such as a crown.

Maryland and bonded bridges are the same type of restoration, with a pontic tooth that is supported with wing-like frame extensions that are bonded to adjacent teeth.

Abutment refers to the supporting teeth.

Partial dentures are not examples of cast restorations. A cast restoration is made of porcelain or gold and fits on a prepared tooth.

Noneugenol dressing is the most commonly used periodontal dressing, because it has a smooth surface and rapid set time.

Gingivectomy is the surgical removal of diseased gingival tissue.

Ultrasonic scalers use high speed sound waves that transform into mechanical energy, allowing for the easy removal of calculus on tooth surfaces.

Sickle scalers are not appropriate for use below the gumline, they are designed for use on supragingival calculus.

Only a dentist and hygienist may measure periodontal probing depths.

Two on a scale of mobility describes moderate mobility.

Moderate periodontitis will have probing depths that are recorded in the 5-7mm range.

Gingivitis is the inflammation of gingival tissue.

30% or less of a mouth being infected is considered a localized periodontal disease infection.

Pulp caps may help save the tooth pulp by placing a covering over the exposed or nearly exposed pulp during a restorative procedure.

All of the above are reasons for performing debridement of a root canal.

After placing the dam, the next step is disinfecting the dam and clamp with an iodine solution (or a sodium hypochlorite solution may be used as well).

Formocresol is used to seal deciduous teeth.

Broaches are useful for removing pulp tissue or fragments of paper points within a root canal.

Alcohol is not an appropriate irrigation solution.

Four radiographs is the minimum number needed to complete an endodontic procedure.

Gutta percha is not a root canal sealer. It is a root canal filling material.

Paper points are used to dry the inside of endodontic canals.

Seven minutes is the appropriate length of time to scrub hands and forearms with a surgical scrub brush.

Periosteal elevator is the instrument that retracts tissue away from the bone during an extraction.

Above waist level is where hands should be kept following a surgical scrub.

Bone files are flat working instruments with large cutting blades and are used to smooth the surface of alveolar bone.

Extraction of impacted 3rd molar is not a common procedure in general dental practices.

Palm grasp is the correct grasp to use when holding forceps

A blood clot fails to form properly

Polyester fiber is not an absorbable suture material, it is non-absorbable material.

Alveoloplasty is when the bone is recontoured and smoothed in the alveolar ridge when adjacent teeth have been extracted.

Surgical instruments are all considered to be critical and all must be sterilized after use.

Avulsed is the term used when a tooth completely comes out of the socket in one piece.

Festoon means to be trimmed, but it is not the terminology used to describe a type of stainless steel crown.

Pulpotomy removes the infected area of the pulp but leaves healthy pulp tissue within the primary tooth.

All of the above are examples of preventive orthodontics offered in a pediatric dental environment.

Open treatment bays are unique to pediatric dental offices, helping children to feel less shut in than a small operatory.

Children should use a fluoride-free dentrifice until they are able to expectorate. This prevents swallowing of fluoride.

Treatment of developing permanent teeth is not an emphasis of pediatric dentistry.

T-band matrixes are copper t-shaped matrix bands commonly used on primary molars.

Stainless steel crowns are used primarily in pediatric dentistry.

Maxillary central incisors are the most frequently injured primary teeth.

Class II bites show the mesiobuccal cusp of the maxillary first molar meeting mesial to the mesiobuccal groove of the mandibular first molar

Class III bites show the mesiobuccal cusp of the maxillary first molar meeting distal to the mesiobuccal groove of the mandibular first molar

Wire ligatures are the thin wires that twist around brackets to hold an arch wire in place.

Elastics help bring about movement between maxillary and mandibular arches.

Weingart utility pliers are used to guide arch wire into place

All of the above are directions that orthodontic therapy can move a tooth.

Steel is not an ingredient in amalgam fillings.

Potassium fluoride is not a common type of cavity liner

Etch is applied to the tooth in order to prepare it for retention and bonding of material.

Luting agent is- a permanent cement which is used in a very thin coat to permanently cement casting to a tooth.

The smear layer is a thin layer of debris that remains after a tooth is prepared for treatment.

IRM, or intermediate restorative material, is the most common cement used for temporary restorations.

Glass ionomer cements release a slow flow of fluoride into the tooth, reducing risk of recurrent decay.

Calcium hydroxide is appropriate for mixing on a paper pad. Amalgam must be mixed in a machine while the other 2 materials listed must be mixed on a glass slab.

Matrix, wedge - Both necessary in order to properly create an anatomical contour for new restorations

Gingival edges are shorter than the occlusal edges, because the neck of the tooth is narrower than the occlusal crown portion.

Whiteners will remove some surface stains from restorative materials but will not remove stains or color from in a restorative material. Whiteners will only affect the tooth structure, not restorative materials.

Wedges are only used for class II, III and IV matrix systems.

Veneer is the tooth colored material that is bonded to a tooth in order to improve the overall appearance.

Clear plastic matrix are used for composite fillings on anterior teeth.

A retentive pin helps along with bonding material to restore teeth that are badly broken down.

Curing lights are not needed for the application of a varnish.

15-30 seconds is the typical time required by etch manufacturers for the material to thoroughly etch the tooth surface.

Temporary is not a type of impression. There are only 3 types of impressions and those are preliminary, final and occlusal registration

Alginate is a gelatinous material that is ideal for preliminary impressions.

Model plaster - this is used because it is easy to trim and handle

Exposure to light is not a factor that affects the setting of gypsum products. However, the others listed do affect it.

Wax bite registration is a soft, pliable material that allows the occlusion surfaces of teeth to easily be recorded.