NDEB Dental Public Health and Preventive Dentistry 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the optimal fluoride concentration in community water fluoridation recommended by the US Public Health Service?
- 0.3 mg/L
- 0.7 mg/L (Correct answer)
- 1.0 mg/L
- 1.2 mg/L
Correct answer: 0.7 mg/L
The US Public Health Service recommends 0.7 mg/L as the optimal fluoride concentration for community water fluoridation to prevent caries while minimizing fluorosis.
Question 2: Which index measures the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in a population?
- DMFT index
- Dean's Fluorosis Index (Correct answer)
- OHI-S
- CPITN
Correct answer: Dean's Fluorosis Index
Dean's Fluorosis Index scores fluorosis severity from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe) and is used to determine community fluorosis prevalence.
Question 3: Which type of prevention focuses on restoring teeth already damaged by disease?
- Primary prevention
- Secondary prevention
- Tertiary prevention (Correct answer)
- Primordial prevention
Correct answer: Tertiary prevention
Tertiary prevention aims to restore function and reduce complications from existing disease, such as placing restorations or prosthetics.
Question 4: What does the DMFT index measure?
- Depth of periodontal pockets
- Decayed, Missing, and Filled permanent Teeth (Correct answer)
- Dental mobility, furcation, and tissue loss
- Degree of malocclusion, facial type, and tissue health
Correct answer: Decayed, Missing, and Filled permanent Teeth
DMFT records the number of permanent teeth that are Decayed, Missing due to caries, or Filled to quantify caries experience in a population.
Question 5: Which bacteria is most associated with the initiation of dental caries?
- Porphyromonas gingivalis
- Streptococcus mutans (Correct answer)
- Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
- Treponema denticola
Correct answer: Streptococcus mutans
Streptococcus mutans is the primary cariogenic bacterium, producing lactic acid and colonizing smooth tooth surfaces to initiate decay.
Question 6: Which preventive agent is applied professionally as a high-concentration varnish or gel to reduce caries risk?
- Chlorhexidine 0.12%
- Fluoride varnish (22,600 ppm) (Correct answer)
- Povidone-iodine 10%
- Silver diamine fluoride 3%
Correct answer: Fluoride varnish (22,600 ppm)
Fluoride varnish containing 22,600 ppm sodium fluoride is applied professionally to high-risk patients for caries prevention.
NDEB Dental Public Health and Preventive Dentistry 1
What is the optimal fluoride concentration in community water fluoridation recommended by the US Public Health Service?