Communication & Materials

Pan Dental Remedial Communication Skills and Dental Materials Quiz.

This exam is designed to examine your knowledge in communication skills and dental materials.

All questions have only one correct answer.

Could you enter your information below? Please use your work email.

1 / 60

What is the best floss to use?

The most important thing concerning flossing is not which floss is used, but whether or not the floss is used regularly.

Nylon

PTFE

Silk

2 / 60

What are bite plates used for?

To treat TMJ (jaw joint) disorders.

To protect the wearer during sports.

To straighten teeth.

To protect the teeth from damage during tooth grinding at night.

3 / 60

How do you respond to a patient who makes sexual jokes during treatment?

Also make sexual jokes to improve patient rapport.

Tell them while smiling and laughing with a friendly tone, that they have to stop for treatment to continue.

Report them to police immediately.

Tell them with a calm, neutral face and a professional tone that they have to stop for treatment to continue.

4 / 60

Which of the following suture types must be removed at a later appointment?

Synthetic resorbable suture materials from polymers.

Natural resorbable suture materials like silk.

Natural resorbable suture materials like cat gut.

Non-resorbable suture materials.

5 / 60

What kind of bacteria, which cause gum disease around teeth and implants, are specifically targeted by Oxysafe products and hydrogen peroxide?

Oxygen-hating bacteria.

Oxygen-loving bacteria.

Hydrocarbon-hating bacteria.

Hydrocarbon-loving bacteria.

6 / 60

Zinc oxide eugenol is often used in pulpotomies. Why?

Zinc oxide eugenol should also be used as a permanent filling in adults because it is very strong.

Zinc oxide eugenol does not break down in water.

Eugenol oil has a pain-killing effect.

Eugenol oil never causes allergies.

7 / 60

What is the difference between the working time and the setting time of amalgam?

Working time is the period the amalgamator needs to mix the capsule, while the setting time is the period that the amalgam needs to rest before the assistant gives it to the dentist.

Working time is the period the dentist can work with the amalgam while it is still soft, while the setting time is the period the amalgam needs to continue hardening on a microscopic scale, even when it is too hard for the dentist to shape it.

Setting time is the period the dentist can work with the amalgam while it is still soft, while the working time is the period the amalgam needs to continue hardening on a microscopic scale, even when it is too hard for the dentist to shape it.

Setting time is the period the amalgamator needs to mix the capsule, while the working time is the period that the amalgam needs to rest before the assistant gives it to the dentist.

8 / 60

Which is the best posture and place to communicate with a patient about something sensitive?

Standing straight somewhere private.

Standing with a bent back in the open corridor.

Sitting down, leaning back somewhere private.

Sitting down, leaning a bit forward, somewhere private.

9 / 60

What material are denture adhesives most frequently made out of?

PMMA.

Wax.

Acrylic.

Silicone.

10 / 60

We use orthophosphoric acid to etch tooth structure before applying fillings. Why?

Etching roughens tooth structure, which makes the filling stick better.

Etching changes hydroxyapatite into fluorapatite.

The statement is false. We use hydrofluoric acid to etch tooth structure.

Etching smoothens tooth structure, which makes the filling stick better.

11 / 60

In medicine, we often communicate down an information gradient. What does this mean?

It means that information should only flow in one direction: from the doctor to the patient.

It means that the medical team is more educated, and therefore, knows how the patient should feel emotionally about their condition.

It means that medical conversations with patients should be like lectures.

It means that the medical team is more knowledgeable about the science of the diseases than the patient.

12 / 60

What options of materials do we commonly have for custom-casted post and core restorations?

Composite and Glass Ionomer.

PMMA and silver-silicon.

Metal and zirconia.

Amalgam and composite.

13 / 60

Why are addition silicones more accurate than condensation silicones?

Addition silicones are always more hydrophobic.

Addition silicones are always more hydrophilic.

Addition silicone's setting reaction produces an alcohol byproduct, which improves accuracy.

Addition silicone's setting reaction does not produce alcohol.

14 / 60

Why are patients advised not to rinse their mouths with water after brushing with toothpaste?

So that sodium lauryl sulfate does not affect the taste sensation.

So that the fluoride remains in contact with the teeth as long as possible, and is not washed away.

To prevent stomach ulcers.

To prevent hydroxyapatite from turning into fluorapatite.

15 / 60

A dentist wants to make a temporary crown that is milled in the laboratory. Which material is best?

PMMA.

Amalgam.

Emax.

Zirconia.

16 / 60

Your workmate invites you to a restaurant outside of work hours. You do not want to go. What type of communication is this?

“I would like to, but my partner does not like it when my colleagues over-involve themselves in my life."

Aggressive communication.

Assertive communication.

Passive communication.

Passive-aggressive communication.

17 / 60

What is the purpose of the silane linking agent when cementing E.max restorations?

Etching the ceramic surface.

Linking the etched emax surface to the resin cement.

Joining the universal adhesive to the resin cement.

Etching the tooth surface.

18 / 60

Gold is an example of a noble metal. Which of the following is true about this group of metals?

They are cheap, for example cobalt.

They commonly cause allergies, for example nickel.

They are resistant to chemical corrosion, for example palladium.

They are strong, for example chromium.

19 / 60

Mercury is toxic to the brain and kidneys. Amalgam fillings contain mercury. Should patients be concerned about the health of their brains and kidneys due to amalgam fillings?

Partially, because amalgam has been linked with serious brain diseases but no kidney diseases.

No, because it contains too little mercury to cause such issues.

Yes, amalgam causes severe kidney and brain damage, and can also crack teeth long-term.

No, because amalgam contains cadmium, not mercury.

20 / 60

Which of the following is NOT a correct way to handle alginate restorations?

Removing the alginate quickly from the mouth means it is less likely to tear.

Using cooler water may increase the working time.

Allow the alginate to dry for 48 hours before pouring gypsum.

Pour gypsum as soon as possible.

21 / 60

What are dental waxes made of?

Beeswax, aluminium, silver nitrate, wheat flour and paint.

Pure beeswax only.

Pure carnauba wax only.

Natural wax, synthetic wax, oils, resin, colouring agents and more.

22 / 60

Where can you expect to use membrane in dentistry?

When extract a loose baby tooth without surgery.

During mechanical cleaning.

When etching the tooth surface for a filling.

When guiding bone graft healing and soft tissue growth.

23 / 60

Select the false statement about touch.

It always worsens rapport when used with patients.

We should hug patients only if they initiate it first.

We should respect patient's personal space and not touch them without permission.

Touch has had documented historical healing powers for centuries, for example therapeutic massages.

24 / 60

Which of the following is true about sealers?

Calcium hydroxide is very strong and does not dissolve in water.

Resin sealers do not form a Monoblock.

Using too much sealer is not good, because in large amounts, shrinkage will affect the sealer's ability to seal the canal.

Epoxy resin sealers are very safe to handle with bare hands.

25 / 60

Fluoride varnish is only applied in the dental office, but not at home by the patient, like most toothpastes. Why?

Fluoride varnish is dangerous, but toothpaste is completely safe to swallow.

Fluoride varnish does not turn hydroxyapatite into fluorapatite.

Fluoride varnish contains less fluoride than toothpaste.

Flouride varnish has a high concentration of fluoride at more than 20,000 mg/L.

26 / 60

What is the active ingredient of bleaching gels?

Hydrocarbon oxoborate.

Orthophosphoric acid.

Hydrofluoric acid.

Carbamide peroxide.

27 / 60

Select the true statement about implants.

Zirconia implants are more commonly used than titanium implants.

PMMA is a very good implant material.

Implants are categorised by both their length and diameter in milllimeters.

Zirconia implants cause much more allergies than titanium implants.

28 / 60

How can we reduce the chances that a patient can sue us in the event of a mistake?

Building a good rapport.

Speaking in a dominant tone

Telling patients how they are supposed to feel about a bad outcome.

Hiding mistakes and fixing them without the patient knowing

29 / 60

Modern composites are called "nano-hybrid composites". What does this mean?

They contain nano-hybrid silane linking agent.

They have different sizes of photoinitiators to speed up the polymerisation.

They have different sizes of fillers, to affect both the strength and colour of the composite.

They have two kinds of resin monomers: the nano-resins and the hybrid resins.

30 / 60

Match the protocol for using an opaquer with the correct restorative material.

Nickel-chromium custom-casted post -> Sandblaster and silane-linking agent.

Lithium disilicate -> Sandblaster, orthophosphoric acid and universal adhesive.

Discoloured tooth structure -> Sandblaster and universal adhesive.

Nickel-chromium custom-casted post -> Orthophosphoric acid and universal adhesive.

31 / 60

Patients make a very fast judgment about you, without them even knowing, when they first meet you. Which answers are related to this?

Patients take in only verbal information in the first few seconds.

This is self-disclosing assertiveness.

This has no connection to the thin-slice phenomenon.

The brain wants to determine if a doctor is competent, based on very little information.

32 / 60

Select the FALSE statement concerning the bonding agent for composite fillings.

It is commonly called "universal adhesive".

It is made up of 10-MDP monomers, which polymerise upon light curing.

It does not need to be light cured.

It must be air-dried to evaporate the solvent.

33 / 60

A patient is annoyed that their procedure is delayed. They start shouting at you and become very difficult to talk to. How do you handle the situation?

Wait and watch. Do something only after they turn violent.

Argue with them so that they can understand you better.

Listen intently as to why they are upset, and make them feel heard.

Shake their hand and tell them it's going to be okay.

34 / 60

Which of the following bone graft types comes from an animal?

Autologous bone graft.

Xenograft.

Allograft.

Synthetic calcium-containing grafts.

35 / 60

Why is communicating with the elderly difficult?

They do not need to be included in their own care.

They need a lot of self-disclosing assertiveness which is difficult to master.

They may be blind, and so they cannot process most non-verbal communication.

It is almost impossible to avoid a fact-inference confusion.

36 / 60

What is the function of silicon carbide particles in Opalustre, used in Enamel Microabrasion?

It turns hydroxyapatite into fluorapatite.

It scratches away a thin layer of the tooth.

It dissolves stains chemically.

There are no silicon carbide particles used in enamel microabrasion.

37 / 60

Why is it best to use sodium hypochlorite with an ultrasonic activator (e.g. Endoactivator)?

It makes hydroxyapatite turn into fluorapatite.

It pushes the sodium hypochlorite into the dentinal tubules, which are normally very hard to clean.

It enables the tooth to become whiter without the use of EDTA.

It helps to provide better obturation.

38 / 60

What is special about communicating by phone?

Self-disclosing assertiveness is very important.

It becomes impossible to cause a fact-inference confusion.

Paralanguage is more important. 

Non-verbal communication is more important. 

39 / 60

Which of the following should we NOT do when we first meet a patient?

Introduce the entire dental team that will be working on the patient.

Smile.

Stand with a bent back.

Greet the patient.

40 / 60

During light curing, the top surface of dental composites is normally exposed to oxygen. We can add glycerin to prevent oxygen from reaching this surface layer. Why?

Using glycerin increases the evaporation of the solvent of the universal adhesive, which helps the filling stick to the tooth.

Using glycerin makes the surface harder, which makes it more difficult for staining substances to enter the composite. This keeps the colour of the filling longer.

Using glycerin improves the bond between every layer of the filling.

Using glycerin makes the surface softer, which makes it harder to polish.

41 / 60

Why do we use retraction cord?

To retract the gums and take more accurate impressions.

To increase the bonding of opaquers to the silane linking agent for metal casted posts.

To retract the teeth for braces.

To tie bleeding arteries during oral surgery, and retract the bleeding.

42 / 60

Why do some bulk-fill composites need a layer of packable composite on top?

Because bulk-fill composites cannot be used in layers thicker than 2mm.

Because the bulk-fill composites are often very translucent, and so it would be difficult to match the shade of the tooth.

Because bulk-fill composites can be cured to a depth of 6 mm.

Because the bulk-fill composites are often very opaque, and so it would be difficult to match the shade of the tooth.

43 / 60

Which of the following is NOT a good use of calcium hydroxide?

As an interappointment root canal medicament.

As a pulp capping material.

As a permanent filling.

44 / 60

What makes up the vocal message?

Content and Verbal message.

Content and Paralanguage.

Paralanguage.

Verbal message.

45 / 60

Lidocaine allergies are a rare but dangerous phenomenon because they can cause the airway to swell and stop the patient from breathing. What can you expect to see as a dental assistant quickly and easily?

The exact increase in heart rate in beats per minute.

A skin rash that suddenly appears quickly after the lidocaine has been injected.

The exact drop in blood pressure in mmHg.

The exact effect of a severe reaction on the internal organs.

46 / 60

A patient cannot speak when the dentist is working because of the instruments in their mouth. We can still communicate with them using non-verbal communication. Which of the following ways would NOT work?

The patient raising their hand when they are in pain.

The dentist asking the patient to gently tap them if they are in pain.

The patient using self-disclosing assertiveness.

The doctor reading the patient's facial expression.

47 / 60

What is an abutment?

The metal screw inside the bone.

The ceramic crown or bridge on top of an implant.

The metal connector between the implant and crown/bridge/denture on top.

The drill a dentist uses to place implants.

48 / 60

Which of the following is NOT a side effect of commercial mouthwashes?

Alcohol-containing mouthwashes may cause a burning sensation.

Alcohol-containing mouthwashes may cause a false positive on road traffic breath analysis tests.

Mouthwashes cause very high rates of mouth cancer.

They may change the normal balance of good and bad bacteria in the mouth.

49 / 60

Listed below are some causes of tooth sensitivity, matched with the compounds that help solve them in Mira-sensitive toothpaste. Select the FALSE answer.

Exposed dentinal tubules are covered by nano-hydroxyapatite.

Tooth structure is hardened by fluoride.

Sensitive nerves are calmed by potassium nitrate.

Sensitive nerves are calmed by ferric sulfate.

50 / 60

Poor communication can increase a patient's anxiety, which can directly worsen their health outcomes. Which model of understanding medicine adequately explains this relationship?

Biomedical model.

Biopsychosocial model.

Biochemical model.

Bernoulli's model of healthcare.

51 / 60

Which of the following is true concerning communication with children?

Verbal communication is more important when talking to children than when talking to adults.

Tone is very important, as they respond more to affective than cognitive reasoning.

They respond well to threats and intimidation.

They have long attention spans.

52 / 60

Is trust cognitive or affective?

Cognitive.

Affective.

Neither.

Both.

53 / 60

Which alloy is typically used to make orthodontic wires (wires for braces), as well as root canal rotary files?

Cobalt-Chromium.

Mercury-silver-tin.

Wax-gypsum.

Nickel-Titanium.

54 / 60

Select the FALSE statement about the things that make Cention N a unique restorative material.

Cention N comes in one shade, approximately A2.

Cention N can only be used when it is light-cured.

Cention N contains alkasite fillers that release fluoride just like glass ionomer.

Cention N is more resistant to moisture than regular composite.

55 / 60

Acrylic is used to make denture bases. Which component of dental composites is the acrylic most similar to?

Filler.

Silane-linking agent.

Resin.

Photoinitiator.

56 / 60

Endocrowns are a ceramic restoration that is adhesively (chemically) bonded to the tooth. Which material is best to make these from?

Zirconia.

PMMA.

E.max

Amalgam.

57 / 60

Doctor: "You do not need to be scared of root canals. All of them go well easily."

Patient. "All? But my cousin had a very painful one. You doctors are liars!"

Which communication error did the doctor make?

Over use of the biopsychosocial model of healthcare.

Generalisation.

Fact-inference confusion.

Different definitions of the same word.

58 / 60

How can we use non-vital communication well in the dental office?

The dentist comments on the weather to ease tension before beginning treatment.

The dentist discusses weekend plans while delivering bad news.

The assistant interrupts patient questions with politics.

The hygienist continues talking about football while the patient is looks stressed.

59 / 60

Porcelain in PFM restorations is applied by the lab technician in layers over the metal coping. Which layer blocks out the greyish colour of the metal coping?

Dentin layer.

Metal oxide layer.

Opaque layer.

Incisal layer.

60 / 60

Which of the following is true about gutta-percha cones?

In single-cone rotary technique, the accessory cones are larger than the master cone.

The excess gutta percha is burned off with a heated metal instrument.

The largest gutta-percha cone used in root canal treatment is the accessory cone.

Gutta-percha causes allergies in about 30 percent of patients.

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