DENTAL PROMETRIC PRACTICE-MODEL QUESTIONS

1. You appoint a new receptionist to the staff of your dental practice. Following successful
completion of his/her probationary period, how often is it recommended that his/her
performance should be appraised?

A. Every 6 months
B. Every 12 months
C. Every 18 months
D. Every 24 months
E. Every 60 months

2. A 56-year old man presents with generalised gingival enlargement. Which one of the following
classes of drugs is he most likely to be taking?

A. ACE inhibitor
B. α blocker
C. β1 blocker
D. β2 blocker
E. Calcium channel blocker

3. You are designing an occlusal rest seat on the mandibular left first premolar for a partial cobalt-
chrome denture. Which one of the following best describes the optimal depth that the marginal
ridge should be reduced?

A. 0.5 mm
B. 1.0 mm
C. 1.5 mm
D. 2.0 mm
E. 2.5 mm

4. A patient presents with a discoloured lower incisor tooth and associated alveolar swelling. Which
one of the following clinical findings would be of most use in helping determine its cause?

A. Altered sensation in the affected area

B. Degree of alveolar swelling
C. Loss of vitality
D. Periodontal pocketing
E. Soft tissue blanching
5. A 53-year-old woman has been diagnosed with ‘burning mouth syndrome’. Indicate which part
of the mouth is most commonly affected in this condition?

A. Buccal mucosa
B. Hard palate
C. Lips
D. Soft palate
E. Tongue

6. Which one of the following is the most appropriate antibiotic for a patient with liver failure and
a dental abscess?

A. Cefuroxime
B. Clindamycin
C. Doxycycline
D. Erythromycin
E. Oxytetracycline

7. A 12-year-old patient in the permanent dentition attends for an orthodontic assessment. In this
situation which one of the following screening tools is most likely to be used?

A. Golson Yardstick
B. Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need
C. Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need
D. Irregularity Index
E. Peer assessment rating

8. A 30-year-old man requires extraction of the left mandibular and maxillary third molars. He is
very nervous. He is fit and well and weighs 70 kg. Which one of the following would be the
preferred technique of administration of intravenous midazolam to achieve an appropriate level
of sedation?

A. A bolus injection of 1 mg midazolam and titration of 2 mg increments

B. A bolus injection of 2 mg midazolam and titration of 2 mg increments
C. A bolus injection of 7 mg midazolam
D. No bolus dose and titration of 1 mg increments
E. No bolus dose and titration of 2 mg increments
9. Which one of the following cannot be changed during construction of a set of complete
dentures?

A. Condylar guidance angle

B. Curve contacting buccal and lingual cusp tips on the posterior mandibular teeth (Curve of
Wilson)
C. Incisal guidance angle
D. Plane of orientation
E. Three dimension curvature of the occlusal plane (Sphere of Monson)

10. A 16-year-old girl in the permanent dentition presents complaining about her 'back to front'
bite. Which one of the following is the likely definition of the incisor classification in this clinical
situation?

A. The lower incisor edges are on the cingulum plateau of the opposing upper incisors
B. The lower incisor edges are posterior to the cingulum plateau of the opposing upper incisors
and the overjet is increased
C. The lower incisor edges are posterior to the cingulum plateau of the opposing upper incisors
and the overjet is normal
D. The lower incisors are anterior to the cingulum plateau of the opposing upper incisors and a
reverse overjet is present
E. The lower incisors are posterior to the cingulum plateau of the opposing upper incisors and
the upper incisors are retroclined

11. A patient brings a letter from an oral maxillofacial surgery department stating they had a
unilateral lower motor neuron lesion of the facial nerve last year which resolved after a few
months. What signs would you have seen at the time?

A. A weakness of all the muscles of facial expression and the eye will not close on the
contralateral side of the lesion
B. A weakness of all the muscles of facial expression and the eye will not close on the ipsilateral
side of the lesion
C. A weakness of all the muscles of facial expression on the ipsilateral side of the lesion and the
eye will not close on the contralateral side
D. A weakness of the muscles of facial expression on the contralateral side of the lesion, but
the upper facial muscles are spared
E. A weakness of the muscles of facial expression on the ipsilateral side of the lesion, but the
upper facial muscles are spared
12. A 39-year-old man with severe anxiety attends for dental treatment. His GP has prescribed him
medication for the long-term management of his generalised anxiety disorder. Which one of the
following medications has most likely been prescribed by his GP?

A. Amitriptyline
B. Clozapine
C. Diazepam
D. Fluoxetine
E. Haloperidol

13. You are about to undertake a procedure on a healthy 20 kg 5-year-old child. Which one of the
following most accurately represents the maximum dose of 2% Lidocaine with 1:80 000
adrenaline that can be administered?

A. 0.2 mL
B. 2.2 mL
C. 4.4 mL
D. 6.6 mL
E. 8.8 mL

14. Your new dental nurse sustains a needle stick injury. She has been appropriately immunised. In
this situation, which one of the following represents the highest risk of cross-infection after a
needle-stick injury?

A. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
B. Hepatitis B
C. Hepatitis C
D. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
E. Rubella

15. While working in dental public health you are asked to help design a study into the benefits of
fluoridation of the water supply on the local population. Which one of the following study
designs is most appropriate from the options given?

A. Case-control study
B. Case series
C. Cohort study
D. Cross-sectional study
E. Randomised controlled trial
16. Which one of the following cell populations is the major progenitor for a new connective tissue
attachment in guided tissue regeneration?

A. Alveolar bone stem cells

B. Cell rests of Malassez
C. Gingival fibroblasts
D. Periodontal ligament fibroblasts
E. Predetermined odontoblasts

17. A 40-year-old woman undergoes a lateral cephalogram for orthognathic planning. On review,
well- defined, rounded lucent lesions are seen throughout the skull. Which one of the following
is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Hypoparathyroidism
B. Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis
C. Leukaemia
D. Multiple myeloma
E. Pituitary adenoma

18. A 32-year-old woman who does not smoke or drink alcohol has a close relative who has died of
oral cancer. She has asked you for advice on oral cancer prevention. Which one of the following
would be most likely to reduce her risk of developing oral carcinoma?

A. Avoid spicy food

B. Eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables daily
C. Maintain excellent oral hygiene
D. Take a multi-vitamin tablet daily
E. Take vitamin C supplements

19. A 20-year-old woman complains she has discolouration of her upper anterior teeth. On
examination she has mild fluorosis of the upper incisors. Which one of the following would be
the most appropriate initial management?

A. Ceramic veneers
B. Direct composite veneers
C. Full-coverage porcelain-bonded-to-metal crowns
D. Microabrasion
E. Tray whitening
20. A 25-year-old man presents a month after an alleged assault, complaining of a tender maxillary
central incisor. It is slightly buccally displaced, vital and causing mild occlusal interference with
Grade II mobility. Radiographic examination reveals no root or alveolar fracture. Which one of
the following is the most appropriate initial management?

A. Extirpation and placement of a calcium hydroxide dressing

B. Orthodontic repositioning
C. Palatal repositioning manually
D. Soft diet review
E. Splinting flexibly for four weeks

21. Which one of the following would be the most appropriate instrument for scaling in a 45-year-
old patient presenting with calculus around an implant-stabilised bridge?

A. Gold-tipped instruments
B. High-carbon steel-tipped instruments
C. Nickel-titanium-tipped instruments
D. Titanium-tipped instruments
E. Unfilled resin plastic-tipped instruments

22. A 45-year-old woman attends with diagnosed burning mouth syndrome. Which one of the
following is a common clinical feature?

A. Usually acute
B. Usually aggravated by eating
C. Usually bilateral
D. Usually keeps patient awake at night
E. None of the above

23. A 33-year-old woman is referred to an oral surgeon. According to the National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which one of the following is the most significant indication
for extraction of a mesio-angular-impacted lower third molar?

A. Anterior crowding
B. Occlusal caries on the adjacent 2nd molar
C. Periodontal disease (mild)
D. Single episode of severe pericoronitis
E. Two episodes of severe pericoronitis
24. You surgically remove a difficult lower left third molar. You go deep with the surgical straight bur
during the procedure and notice a lot of bleeding from the site. The patient returns with
profound numbness of the lower left lip and chin the next afternoon. Which one of the following
is the best course of action?

A. Prescribe dexamethasone to reduce any swelling around the nerve and review one month
later
B. Reassure and book a review for six weeks time to assess for change and refer if necessary
C. Reassure that feeling should return and monitor monthly until it does so
D. Send a routine referral for the patient to OMFS for assessment
E. Send an urgent referral to your local Oral Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Surgery (OMFS/OS) unit
and phone the department for advice

25. A 25-year-old man is assaulted. He has a fracture of the left zygomatic arch and surgery is
planned. Which one of the following muscles has an attachment to the superior border of the
arch of the zygomatic bone?

A. Anterior belly of digastric

B. Lateral pterygoid
C. Masseter
D. Medial pterygoid
E. Temporalis
Answers

Question Correct Question Correct Question Correct

No Response No Response No Response
1 B 11 B 21 E
2 E 12 D 22 C
3 C 13 C 23 E
4 C 14 C 24 E
5 E 15 E 25 E
6 A 16 D
7 C 17 D
8 D 18 B
9 A 19 E
10 D 20 B