Periodontics and Gum Disease Flashcards
7 cards from real AGD practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Periodontics and Gum Disease flashcards as text
Which cytokine is considered the primary mediator of bone resorption in periodontitis?
Answer: Interleukin-1β
IL-1β is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that upregulates RANKL expression and drives osteoclast-mediated alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis.
A patient presents with rapid, severe periodontal destruction affecting the first molars and incisors in an otherwise healthy adolescent. The most likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Localized aggressive periodontitis
Localized aggressive periodontitis classically presents in adolescents with rapid bone loss around first molars and incisors, often associated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.
The Widman flap procedure differs from the modified Widman flap primarily in that the original technique:
Answer: Includes osseous recontouring as a standard step
The original Widman flap routinely incorporated osseous recontouring, while the modified Widman flap emphasizes root debridement with minimal osseous surgery.
Which furcation classification indicates that a probe can pass completely through the furcation from one side to the other?
Answer: Class III
Class III (through-and-through) furcation involvement means the probe can pass completely through the furcation, indicating severe attachment loss.
Systemically, which medication class is most strongly associated with drug-influenced gingival enlargement?
Answer: Calcium channel blockers
Calcium channel blockers, particularly nifedipine, are well-known to cause gingival enlargement by increasing collagen synthesis in gingival fibroblasts.
During periodontal surgery, the distance from the alveolar crest to the base of the pocket that determines whether osseous surgery is indicated is typically:
Answer: 3–4 mm
A distance of 3–4 mm from the alveolar crest to the base of the defect is generally the threshold at which osseous recontouring becomes beneficial.
Which microorganism is considered a keystone pathogen in the dysbiotic shift that initiates periodontal disease?
Answer: Porphyromonas gingivalis
P. gingivalis is recognized as a keystone pathogen that, even in low abundance, manipulates the host immune response to create a dysbiotic microenvironment promoting periodontitis.