NBDHE Dental Hygienist Practice Test (Updated 2023)

Quality starts with who wrote the material.

Our practice exam writer

Sharon Boyd, RDH

, has been a registered dental hygienist for over 10 years. She specializes in creating educational material for dental studies and has been a head continuing education curriculum writer for an American Dental Association CERP provider.

Abby Altergott, RDH

, has been a registered dental hygienist for over 8 years. She has worked in the specialties of oral surgery, periodontics and orthodontics.

Licensing of dental hygienists in the U.S. is regulated by the individual states. Currently, all states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands recognize exam results from the National Board of Dental Hygiene Exam (NBDHE). The exam assesses a hygienist’s ability to understand relevant information including basic biomedical, dental and dental hygiene sciences and the ability to apply the information into a problem-solving context.

The NBDHE consists of 350 questions. There are 2 components to the NBDHE:

Discipline-based questions on the following three areas:

Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice
Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services
Community Health/Research Principles.

Dental Hygiene Patient Cases containing 12-15 patient cases addressing the following knowledge and skill areas:

Assessing patient characteristics
Obtaining and interpreting radiographs
Planning and managing dental hygiene care
Performing periodontal procedures
Using preventive agents
Providing supportive treatment service
Professional responsibility

Bookmark Page



1.	Hypersensitivity of a root lessens as the tooth forms which of the following?
		a. Periodontal Ligament
		b. Pulp
		c. Cellular cementum
		d. Enamel
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



2.	What nerve supplies the intrinsic muscles of the tongue?
		a. Trochlear
		b. Trigeminal
		c. Glossopharyngeal
		d. Hypoglossal
		e. Accessory
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



3.	Which of the following is the most radioresistant?
		a. Glands
		b. Reproductive organs
		c. Bone Marrow
		d. Skin
		e. Nerves
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



4.	Fluoride is typically introduced in all of the following ways except by ____________?
		a. Drinking water
		b. Vitamins
		c. Injection
		d. Toothpaste
		e. Mouthwash
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



5.	Gingivitas is considered controlled when
		a. the gums reach the crown.
		b. no deep pockets appear in the gums
		c. the gums appear firm
		d. the plaque has been removed
		e. there's no bleeding around the gums
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



6.	A flat stone may be used to sharpen a curette by hand. The face of the curette should be at what angle to the stone?
		a. 50-65 degrees
		b. 75-85 degrees
		c. 90-100 degrees
		d. 100-110 degrees
		e. 125-135 degrees
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



7.	Radiographic intensifying screens are used for
		a. magnification
		b. sharpening the image
		c. reducing the patient dose
		d. reflecting harmful rays
		e. expediting the processing time
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



8.	After an outbreak of herpetic gingivostomatitis, the herpes simplex virus may remain dormant in which of the following?
		a. Sensory ganglion
		b. Salivary Glands
		c. Blood
		d. Ligaments
		e. Lymph nodes
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



9.	Which of the following is a characteristic of an overdenture?
		a. No natural teeth remain
		b. Natural teeth remain
		c. Used with an overbite
		d. Used with an underbite
		e. Covers the denture
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



10.	A dental carie is another name for a _____________.
		a. Dental iinstrument
		b. The gum line
		c. Cavity
		d. Plaque build-up
		e. Gingivitis
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



11.	Which of the following is one of the main reasons for a root canal?
		a. tooth is cracked
		b. . The pulp can't be fixed
		c. Gums are bleeding
		d. A cavity is present
		e. Enamel is worn off
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



12.	Vital whitening is performed on which of the following?
		a. Dentures
		b. Tooth with no live nerve
		c. Tooth with live nerve
		d. Cavities
		e. Tooth roots
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



13.	A vasoconductor does which of the following when used in conjunction with Lidocaine?
		a. Helps the drug get into the blood stream
		b. Helps the numbing drug work
		c. Helps the drug resist breaking down
		d. Makes the numbness wear off
		e. Makes the numbness last longer
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



14.	When a periapical abscess forms, it indicates what?
		a. The gums are infected
		b. Tooth enamel is worn thin
		c. A cavity
		d. A dead or dying tooth root
		e. Plaque build-up
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



15.	If a dentist is placing a bonded filling, she will do which of the following to ensure the filling bonds to the tooth?
		a. X-ray the tooth
		b. Scrape the tooth
		c. Polish the tooth
		d. Etch the tooth
		e. Drill the tooth
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



16.	A pedicle graft uses a flap of tissue from which part of the mouth?
		a. From a neighboring tooth
		b. From the roof of the mouth
		c. From the inside cheek
		d. From any location it can be found
		e. From the bottom of the mouth
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



17.	Where does the bone for a bone augmentation typically comes from in an implantation procedure?
		a. Tibia
		b. Radius
		c. Chin or Ramus
		d. Hip
		e. Humerus
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



19.	Patients should give informed consent to all dental procedures. Which of the following is not a part of informed consent?
		a. Informing patients of the risks of treatment
		b. Patient's agreement to care
		c. Having a discussion of the treatment options with the patient
		d. Getting the patient's or guardian's signature
		e. Obtaining a dental history of the patient
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.



18.	A veneer will correct all of the following except?
		a. Slightly crooked teeth
		b. A tooth with a cavity
		c. Chipped teeth
		d. Gaps between teeth
		e. Teeth with different lengths
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.