Periodontal Anatomy Flashcards
7 cards from real ABP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Periodontal Anatomy flashcards as text
In multirooted teeth, the furcation entrance is most commonly narrower than the diameter of standard periodontal curettes. What is the clinical significance?
Answer: Standard instruments cannot fully debride furcation concavities, requiring specialized tools
Furcation entrances (often <1 mm) are narrower than most curette blades (~0.75–1.2 mm), necessitating use of mini-bladed curettes, ultrasonic tips, or rotary instruments.
Which anatomical feature of cementum distinguishes it from bone in that it lacks?
Answer: Blood supply and nerve supply
Unlike bone, cementum is avascular and has no direct nerve supply; it receives nutrition by diffusion from the periodontal ligament.
Root concavities on the mesial surface of maxillary first premolars are clinically important because they:
Answer: Create areas inaccessible to instrumentation, predisposing to residual calculus
Mesial root concavities on maxillary first premolars create troughs that trap calculus and are difficult to scale, contributing to periodontitis progression.
The cortical plate of the alveolar bone is typically thinnest on which surface of the mandibular anterior teeth?
Answer: Buccal cortical plate
The buccal cortical plate overlying the mandibular anterior teeth is very thin (sometimes fenestrated or dehiscent), making these teeth susceptible to recession with orthodontic proclination.
The junctional epithelium (JE) differs from oral epithelium in that the JE:
Answer: Exhibits rapid cell turnover (4–6 days) and is non-keratinized
The JE has a rapid turnover rate of approximately 4–6 days (vs. ~10–12 days for oral epithelium) and is non-keratinized, providing a permeable barrier at the gingival sulcus.
Enamel pearls are clinically significant in periodontics primarily because they:
Answer: Act as local plaque-retentive areas and can mimic furcation involvement
Enamel pearls are ectopic enamel deposits (commonly on maxillary molars near furcations) that act as plaque-retentive sites and can mislead furcation diagnosis.
Which component of the periodontium is considered the principal mechanoreceptor for detecting tooth loading and mediating the periodontal-muscle reflex?
Answer: Ruffini endings and mechanoreceptors in the PDL
The PDL contains Ruffini-like mechanoreceptors that detect tooth displacement and pressure, triggering protective jaw muscle reflexes during occlusal loading.