RDA Dental Charting, Tooth Morphology, and Occlusion 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which permanent tooth has only a single root and a single canal AND is the longest tooth in the mouth?
- Maxillary lateral incisor
- Mandibular canine
- Maxillary canine (Correct answer)
- Mandibular central incisor
Correct answer: Maxillary canine
The maxillary canine has one root that is the longest of any tooth in the permanent dentition, providing strong anchorage.
Question 2: In the Palmer Notation Method, the symbol ┘ represents which quadrant?
- Maxillary left
- Maxillary right (Correct answer)
- Mandibular left
- Mandibular right
Correct answer: Maxillary right
In Palmer notation, ┘ (bracket opening to the lower left) represents the maxillary right quadrant.
Question 3: The term 'trifurcation' is most applicable to which tooth?
- Maxillary first premolar
- Mandibular first molar
- Maxillary first molar (Correct answer)
- Mandibular second premolar
Correct answer: Maxillary first molar
The maxillary first molar has three roots (mesiobuccal, distobuccal, and palatal), making trifurcation the correct term for their division.
Question 4: Which landmark on the maxillary central incisor is used to distinguish it from the lateral incisor?
- Presence of a mesial developmental groove
- More pronounced mesioincisal angle that is sharper than the distoincisal angle
- Wider crown mesiodistally with a flatter incisal edge (Correct answer)
- Shorter root length relative to crown
Correct answer: Wider crown mesiodistally with a flatter incisal edge
The maxillary central incisor has a notably wider mesiodistal crown width and a flatter, straighter incisal edge compared to the more rounded lateral incisor.
Question 5: An edge-to-edge bite is a characteristic of which Angle classification?
- Class I (Correct answer)
- Class II Division 1
- Class III
- Class II Division 2
Correct answer: Class I
An edge-to-edge bite can occur within a Class I skeletal relationship where the incisal edges of upper and lower incisors meet directly.
Question 6: Which surface of a tooth faces toward the tongue?
- Buccal
- Labial
- Lingual (Correct answer)
- Occlusal
Correct answer: Lingual
The lingual surface faces the tongue; it is the posterior equivalent of the palatal surface used for anterior teeth in some classifications.
Question 7: When recording a missing tooth on a dental chart, the standard symbol used is:
- An X drawn through the tooth (Correct answer)
- A filled-in blue square over the tooth
- A circle with a line through it
- A red triangle below the root apex
Correct answer: An X drawn through the tooth
A missing tooth is charted by drawing an X through the tooth symbol, indicating it is absent from the mouth.
RDA Dental Charting, Tooth Morphology, and Occlusion 5
Which permanent tooth has only a single root and a single canal AND is the longest tooth in the mouth?