CDC Patient Assessment & Documentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting a patient's existing dental restorations for a ceramist's work order, which information is MOST critical to record?
- Patient's insurance provider
- Material type and shade of existing restorations (Correct answer)
- Date of the patient's last prophylaxis
- Name of the referring periodontist
Correct answer: Material type and shade of existing restorations
Recording material type and shade of existing restorations ensures the new ceramic work will be compatible and aesthetically matched.
Question 2: A ceramist receives a prescription noting the patient has bruxism. How should this affect documentation of the case?
- It requires no special notation on the lab prescription
- It should prompt documentation of occlusal considerations and material strength requirements (Correct answer)
- It only affects the choice of shade
- It is relevant only to the periodontist, not the ceramist
Correct answer: It should prompt documentation of occlusal considerations and material strength requirements
Bruxism documentation alerts the ceramist to select high-strength materials and design restorations with appropriate occlusal anatomy.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a facebow record in patient assessment documentation?
- To record the patient's lip line at rest
- To transfer the maxillary arch relationship to the articulator (Correct answer)
- To measure interproximal contact tightness
- To assess the patient's gingival biotype
Correct answer: To transfer the maxillary arch relationship to the articulator
A facebow record transfers the spatial relationship of the maxillary arch to the hinge axis of the articulator for accurate occlusal simulation.
Question 4: What does a 'high smile line' notation in patient documentation indicate to a dental ceramist?
- The patient has a skeletal Class III malocclusion
- The gingival margins and incisal edges will be visible during smiling, requiring precise esthetic work (Correct answer)
- The patient requires osseous surgery before restoration
- The patient's vertical dimension of occlusion is increased
Correct answer: The gingival margins and incisal edges will be visible during smiling, requiring precise esthetic work
A high smile line means the ceramist must pay close attention to gingival contours, margin placement, and esthetics since the entire restoration is visible when the patient smiles.
Question 5: In patient assessment records, a 'mutually protected occlusion' scheme means:
- Posterior teeth protect anterior teeth in excursive movements and anterior teeth protect posteriors in centric occlusion (Correct answer)
- All teeth contact equally in all jaw positions
- Only the canines bear all lateral forces
- The patient has no posterior occlusal contacts
Correct answer: Posterior teeth protect anterior teeth in excursive movements and anterior teeth protect posteriors in centric occlusion
Mutually protected occlusion describes a scheme where anteriors disclude posteriors in excursions and posteriors support the vertical dimension in centric.
Question 6: A laboratory prescription includes the notation 'CEJ to contact point: 4 mm.' This measurement is most relevant to:
- Determining the shade of the restoration
- Assessing the risk of black triangles and planning embrasure form (Correct answer)
- Calculating the occlusal vertical dimension
- Selecting the type of ceramic alloy
Correct answer: Assessing the risk of black triangles and planning embrasure form
The distance from the CEJ to the contact point determines whether the papilla will fill the embrasure, critical for preventing black triangles in the final restoration.
Question 7: When reviewing diagnostic photographs for patient assessment, which view is most useful for evaluating the incisal edge position relative to the lip?
- Occlusal view of the mandibular arch
- Frontal retracted view at rest and in smile (Correct answer)
- Lateral cephalometric radiograph
- Periapical radiograph of the anterior teeth
Correct answer: Frontal retracted view at rest and in smile
The frontal retracted view at rest and during smiling allows the ceramist to assess incisal edge display relative to the upper and lower lips.
CDC Patient Assessment & Documentation 2
When documenting a patient's existing dental restorations for a ceramist's work order, which information is MOST critical to record?