Teeth Whitening Teeth Terminology 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'pulp chamber' of a tooth?
- The space between two adjacent teeth
- The hollow space inside the crown containing nerves and blood vessels (Correct answer)
- The root canal space
- The area between the root and jawbone
Correct answer: The hollow space inside the crown containing nerves and blood vessels
The pulp chamber is the central cavity within the crown of the tooth that houses the dental pulp, including nerves and blood vessels.
Question 2: What does the term 'proximal surface' mean?
- The surface facing the lips or cheeks
- The surface of a tooth facing an adjacent tooth (Correct answer)
- The biting surface of the tooth
- The root surface within bone
Correct answer: The surface of a tooth facing an adjacent tooth
Proximal surfaces are the mesial and distal surfaces of a tooth that face and contact neighboring teeth.
Question 3: What is 'enamel microabrasion'?
- A type of whitening gel
- Removal of a thin enamel layer to eliminate superficial stains (Correct answer)
- Etching enamel before bonding
- Laser removal of enamel
Correct answer: Removal of a thin enamel layer to eliminate superficial stains
Enamel microabrasion is a technique using mild acid and abrasive to remove a thin superficial enamel layer to treat surface discoloration.
Question 4: The term 'rebound' after whitening refers to what phenomenon?
- Enamel cracking from peroxide
- Gradual return of tooth color toward the pre-treatment shade over time (Correct answer)
- Gum darkening after bleaching
- Immediate sensitivity after treatment
Correct answer: Gradual return of tooth color toward the pre-treatment shade over time
Whitening rebound is the natural tendency for teeth to gradually re-darken after bleaching as chromogens re-accumulate.
Question 5: What is meant by 'vital bleaching'?
- Whitening teeth that have had root canals
- Whitening living teeth that still have an intact pulp (Correct answer)
- Using high-intensity light to activate gel
- Emergency whitening after trauma
Correct answer: Whitening living teeth that still have an intact pulp
Vital bleaching refers to whitening procedures performed on teeth that are alive and have an intact nerve and blood supply.
Question 6: What is 'non-vital bleaching'?
- At-home whitening using low-concentration peroxide
- Whitening performed on a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment (Correct answer)
- Whitening with no UV light activation
- Over-the-counter whitening strips
Correct answer: Whitening performed on a tooth that has undergone root canal treatment
Non-vital bleaching is an internal bleaching procedure for teeth that have had root canal treatment and no longer have a living pulp.
Question 7: What does 'cervical' mean when describing tooth anatomy?
- Relating to the tip of the root
- Relating to the neck-like region where the crown meets the root (Correct answer)
- Relating to the biting surface
- Relating to the inner pulp
Correct answer: Relating to the neck-like region where the crown meets the root
The cervical region of the tooth is the narrowed neck area at the junction between the crown and the root.
Teeth Whitening Teeth Terminology 4
What is the 'pulp chamber' of a tooth?