NBDHE Test Dental Hygiene Care 1

Question 1

When adapting a Gracey curette to the mesial surface of a mandibular molar during subgingival scaling, the terminal shank should be:

Accepted Answer

Parallel to the long axis of the tooth surface being scaled

Answer

The terminal shank of a Gracey curette must be kept parallel to the surface being scaled to ensure proper blade adaptation and effective calculus removal without traumatizing the periodontal tissues.

Question 2

Which clinical finding is the MOST reliable indicator of gingival inflammation during a periodontal assessment?

Accepted Answer

Bleeding on probing (BOP)

Answer

Bleeding on probing reflects ulceration of the sulcular epithelium caused by active inflammation, making it the most direct and reliable clinical sign of gingival disease; calculus and pocket depth alone do not confirm current inflammation.

Question 3

The principle of selective polishing differs from routine polishing primarily because it:

Accepted Answer

Targets only teeth with clinically visible extrinsic stain, preserving fluoride-rich enamel

Answer

Selective polishing avoids unnecessary abrasion by restricting rubber cup polishing to surfaces with extrinsic stain, thereby protecting the fluoride-rich outer enamel that would otherwise be abraded on clean surfaces.

Question 4

A patient reports a sharp tooth sensitivity to cold stimuli that resolves within 2–3 seconds after the stimulus is removed. This response pattern is MOST consistent with:

Accepted Answer

Dentinal hypersensitivity

Answer

Dentinal hypersensitivity produces a short, sharp pain that disappears almost immediately after stimulus removal, consistent with the hydrodynamic theory in which fluid shifts in exposed dentinal tubules activate pulpal nociceptors; irreversible pulpitis and abscesses produce lingering or spontaneous pain.

Question 5

According to current evidence-based guidelines, which self-care method is MOST effective for removing interproximal biofilm?

Accepted Answer

Daily mechanical cleaning with floss or interdental brushes

Answer

Mechanical disruption of interproximal biofilm with floss or interdental brushes once daily is the evidence-based standard; antimicrobial rinses and irrigation are adjuncts that do not substitute for mechanical removal of the biofilm matrix.

NBDHE Test Practice Test

NBDHE Test Practice Test

NBDHE Test Dental Hygiene Care 1