NBDHE Patient Education and Preventive Dentistry 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fluoride concentration is found in most prescription-strength fluoride toothpastes recommended for high-caries-risk patients?
- 1,000 ppm
- 1,100 ppm
- 5,000 ppm (Correct answer)
- 2,500 ppm
Correct answer: 5,000 ppm
Prescription fluoride toothpastes typically contain 5,000 ppm fluoride (1.1% sodium fluoride) for high-risk patients.
Question 2: The Bass toothbrushing technique is most effective for removing plaque from which area?
- Occlusal surfaces
- Gingival sulcus and cervical third (Correct answer)
- Interproximal contacts
- Posterior lingual surfaces
Correct answer: Gingival sulcus and cervical third
The Bass technique uses a 45-degree angulation toward the gingival sulcus with short vibratory strokes to clean the sulcular area.
Question 3: Which oral hygiene aid is MOST recommended for a patient with wide interproximal spaces and exposed root furcations?
- Dental floss
- Floss threader
- Interdental brush (Correct answer)
- Toothpick
Correct answer: Interdental brush
Interdental brushes are the most effective aid for cleaning wide spaces, exposed furcations, and around orthodontic appliances.
Question 4: What is the recommended daily fluoride intake upper limit (tolerable upper intake) for adults to avoid chronic fluoride toxicity?
- 2 mg/day
- 5 mg/day
- 10 mg/day (Correct answer)
- 20 mg/day
Correct answer: 10 mg/day
The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for fluoride in adults is 10 mg/day; chronic excess leads to skeletal fluorosis.
Question 5: Primary prevention of dental caries is best achieved by:
- Placing sealants on cavitated lesions
- Fluoride supplementation to reduce existing decay
- Community water fluoridation and daily fluoride use (Correct answer)
- Performing restorations before lesions progress
Correct answer: Community water fluoridation and daily fluoride use
Primary prevention prevents disease before it occurs; community water fluoridation combined with fluoride toothpaste is the most cost-effective caries prevention strategy.
Question 6: Which dietary sugar has the highest cariogenic potential due to its preferential use by Streptococcus mutans?
- Fructose
- Lactose
- Sucrose (Correct answer)
- Xylitol
Correct answer: Sucrose
Sucrose is the most cariogenic sugar because S. mutans uses it to synthesize sticky glucan polymers and produces the most acid.
NBDHE Patient Education and Preventive Dentistry 1
Which fluoride concentration is found in most prescription-strength fluoride toothpastes recommended for high-caries-risk patients?