NBDHE Community Oral Health Principles Questions and Answers

Question 1

A public health dental hygienist is managing a new school-based oral health program. Midway through the program, the hygienist uses feedback from teachers and initial student screenings to adjust the implementation schedule and educational content. This type of evaluation is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Formative

Answer

Formative evaluation is conducted during a program's implementation to provide ongoing feedback that can be used to make adjustments and improvements. Summative, outcome, and impact evaluations are conducted at the end of a program to assess its overall effectiveness and results.

Question 2

Which of the following community-based programs is the BEST example of primary prevention in oral health?

Accepted Answer

Community water fluoridation.

Answer

Primary prevention aims to prevent disease before it occurs. Community water fluoridation is a population-wide measure that prevents dental caries from developing. Screenings are secondary prevention (early detection), while providing fillings and dentures are examples of tertiary prevention (restoring function and limiting disability from existing disease).

Question 3

A community oral health campaign creates posters that state, "Smoking can lead to oral cancer" and show images of the serious consequences of the disease. According to the Health Belief Model, this campaign is primarily targeting which two constructs?

Accepted Answer

Perceived Susceptibility and Perceived Severity

Answer

The Health Belief Model suggests that behavior change is influenced by certain beliefs. Emphasizing the risk of getting a disease targets 'Perceived Susceptibility,' while showing the serious consequences of the disease targets 'Perceived Severity.'

Question 4

What is the MOST critical first step when a public health dental hygienist is tasked with developing a new oral health program for a specific target population?

Accepted Answer

Conducting a needs assessment.

Answer

A needs assessment is the essential first step in the program planning process. It involves systematically collecting data to identify the oral health status, needs, and resources of the target population. All other steps, such as developing goals, securing funding, and recruiting volunteers, should be based on the findings of this initial assessment.

Question 5

A county health department report states that there were 250 new cases of periodontal disease diagnosed in adults over age 65 during the year 2025. This statistic represents the disease's:

Accepted Answer

Incidence

Answer

Incidence is the measure of the number of *new* cases of a disease that occur in a specific population over a specific period. Prevalence refers to the total number of existing cases (both new and old) at a point in time or over a period.

NBDHE Test Practice Test

NBDHE Test Practice Test

NBDHE Community Oral Health Principles Questions and Answers