Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry Flashcards
6 cards from real DDS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry flashcards as text
In the mixed dentition, the ugly duckling stage is characterized by:
Answer: Spacing between the maxillary central incisors due to lateral incisor and canine pressure on the roots
The ugly duckling stage occurs when erupting permanent lateral incisors and canines press on the roots of the centrals, causing them to flare and create a midline diastema that self-corrects on canine eruption.
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) arrests dental caries primarily by:
Answer: Fluoride incorporating into hydroxyapatite while silver ions kill cariogenic bacteria
SDF arrests caries through dual action: fluoride ion remineralizes and hardens enamel/dentin while silver ions (Ag+) provide broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against cariogenic bacteria.
The primary reason for placing stainless steel crowns (SSC) on primary molars with large multi-surface caries is:
Answer: Full coronal coverage provides superior longevity and fracture resistance compared to multi-surface amalgam
Stainless steel crowns provide complete cuspal coverage that resists fracture from masticatory forces, making them significantly more durable than multi-surface direct restorations for primary molars with extensive decay.
Non-nutritive sucking habits (thumb, finger, or pacifier) begin causing skeletal malocclusion risk primarily when:
Answer: The habit persists beyond the eruption of permanent incisors (approximately age 6–7)
Non-nutritive sucking during the primary dentition rarely causes permanent skeletal changes; skeletal open bite and Class II risk significantly increase if the habit persists into the permanent dentition.
Enamel hypoplasia differs from fluorosis in that it:
Answer: Represents a quantitative defect in enamel thickness, while fluorosis is a qualitative (hypomineralization) defect
Hypoplasia is a quantitative defect (reduced enamel formation/thickness) from any systemic or local insult during matrix formation, while fluorosis is a qualitative hypomineralization from excess fluoride during maturation.
The chronological age at which the human primary dentition is typically complete (all 20 primary teeth erupted) is approximately:
Answer: 24–30 months
The primary dentition is typically complete by approximately 24–30 months of age when the second primary molars erupt, completing the 20-tooth primary dentition.