DANB CDA Dental Pharmacology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which drug is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis occurring in the dental office?
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Epinephrine (Correct answer)
- Albuterol inhaler
- Nitroglycerin
Correct answer: Epinephrine
Epinephrine rapidly reverses bronchospasm and vasodilation by stimulating adrenergic receptors and is the definitive treatment for anaphylaxis.
Question 2: Ibuprofen and naproxen belong to which drug class commonly used for dental pain management?
- Opioids
- NSAIDs (Correct answer)
- Corticosteroids
- Benzodiazepines
Correct answer: NSAIDs
Ibuprofen and naproxen are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that inhibit COX enzymes to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation.
Question 3: Which local anesthetic is classified as an ester type and is most commonly used as a topical surface anesthetic?
- Lidocaine
- Mepivacaine
- Benzocaine (Correct answer)
- Articaine
Correct answer: Benzocaine
Benzocaine is an ester-type local anesthetic hydrolyzed by plasma pseudocholinesterase and is the most widely used topical dental anesthetic.
Question 4: What is xerostomia, and which drug class is a common cause?
- Excessive salivation caused by antibiotics
- Dry mouth caused by antihistamines and other medications (Correct answer)
- Gum overgrowth caused by calcium channel blockers
- Tooth discoloration caused by tetracycline
Correct answer: Dry mouth caused by antihistamines and other medications
Xerostomia is dry mouth resulting from reduced salivary flow, a common side effect of antihistamines, antidepressants, and antihypertensives.
Question 5: Which antibiotic is the recommended alternative for infective endocarditis prophylaxis in patients allergic to penicillin?
- Amoxicillin
- Tetracycline
- Clindamycin (Correct answer)
- Ciprofloxacin
Correct answer: Clindamycin
Clindamycin 600 mg orally is the AHA-recommended alternative prophylaxis for patients with a penicillin allergy.
Question 6: What is the dental assistant's legal role regarding patient prescriptions?
- Write prescriptions for routine antibiotics
- Document patient medications and alert the dentist to potential interactions (Correct answer)
- Refill existing prescriptions without dentist approval
- Administer all medications independently
Correct answer: Document patient medications and alert the dentist to potential interactions
Dental assistants are not licensed to prescribe; their role includes recording medications in the chart and flagging potential interactions for the dentist.
Question 7: True allergic reactions to amide local anesthetics are considered:
- Extremely common and the primary cause of adverse reactions
- Rare; most adverse reactions are vasovagal or toxic in nature (Correct answer)
- Always fatal without immediate treatment
- More common than reactions to ester anesthetics
Correct answer: Rare; most adverse reactions are vasovagal or toxic in nature
True IgE-mediated allergies to amide local anesthetics are rare; most reactions are vasovagal syncope or toxic overdose responses.
DANB CDA Dental Pharmacology 2
Which drug is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis occurring in the dental office?