Sample Examination 371
Sample Examination
Endodontics
1. A patient complains of recent severe pain to percus-
sion of a tooth. e most likely cause is ____.
A. Acute periradicular periodontitis
B. Chronic periradicular periodontitis
C. Reversible pulpitis
D. Irreversible pulpitis
2. Which of the following statements regarding post
preparation is not correct?
A. e primary purpose of the post is to retain a core
in a tooth with extensive loss of coronal structure.
B. e need for a post is dictated by the amount of
remaining coronal tooth structure.
C. Posts reinforce the tooth and help to prevent verti-
cal fractures.
D. At least 4 to 5 mm of remaining gutta-percha a er
post space preparation is recommended.
3. Prolonged, unstimulated night pain suggests which of
the following conditions of the pulp?
A. Pulpal necrosis
B. Mild hyperemia
C. Reversible pulpitis
D. Periodontal abscess
4. A nasopalatine duct cyst is located between ____.
A. Two maxillary central incisors
B. Maxillary central and lateral incisors
C. Maxillary lateral and canine
D. Maxillary canine and rst premolar
5. e severity of the course of a periradicular infection
depends on the ____.
A. Resistance of the host
B. Virulence of the organisms
C. Number of organisms present
D. Both A and B only
E. All of the above
6. Informed consent requires that the patient be advised
of all of the following except one. Which one is the
exception?
A. Bene ts of endodontic treatment
B. Cost of endodontic treatment
C. Risks of endodontic treatment
7. Which of the following statements best describes
pulpal A-delta bers compared with C bers?
A. Larger unmyelinated nerve bers with slower con-
duction velocities
B. Larger myelinated nerve bers with faster conduc-
tion velocities
C. Smaller myelinated nerve bers with slower con-
duction velocities
D. Smaller unmyelinated nerve bers with faster con-
duction velocities
8. When compared with the bisecting-angle technique,
the advantages of the paralleling technique in end-
odontic radiology include all of the following except
one. Which one is the exception?
A. Signi cant decrease in patient radiation
B. More accurate image of the tooth’s dimensions
C. Easier to reproduce radiographs at similar angles
to assess healing a er treatment
D. Most accurate image of all dimensions of the tooth
and its relationship to surrounding anatomic
structures
9. e primary reason for designing a surgical ap with
a wide ap base is to ____.
A. Avoid incising over a bony protuberance
B. Obtain maximum access to the surgical site
C. Maintain an adequate blood supply to the re ected
tissue
D. Aid in complete re ection
10. e apical portion of the maxillary lateral incisor
usually curves to the ____.
A. Facial
B. Palatal
C. Mesial
D. Distal
11. Aqueous ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) is
primarily used to ____.
A. Dissolve organic matter
B. Dissolve inorganic matter
C. Kill bacteria
D. Prevent sealer from extruding out of the canal
space
12. A noncarious tooth with deep periodontal pockets that
do not involve the apical third of the root has devel-
oped an acute pulpitis. ere is no history of trauma
other than a mild prematurity in lateral excursion.
What is the most likely explanation for the pulpitis?
A. Normal mastication and toothbrushing have driven
microorganisms deep into tissues with subsequent
pulp involvement at the apex.
B. During a general bacteremia, bacteria settled in
this aggravated pulp and produced an acute
pulpitis.
C. Repeated thermal shock from air and uids getting
into the deep pockets caused the pulpitis.
371
372 Sample Examination
D. An accessory pulp canal in the gingival or the
middle third of the root was in contact with the
pockets.
13. On a radiograph, the facial root of a maxillary rst
premolar would appear distal to the lingual root if
the ____.
A. Vertical angle of the cone was increased
B. Vertical angle of the cone was decreased
C. X-ray head was angled from a distal position rela-
tive to the premolar
D. X-ray head was angled from a mesial position rela-
tive to the premolar
14. If a canal is ledged during instrumentation, the best
way to handle the problem is to ____.
A. Continue instrumenting at the ledge; although it
may take some time, you will eventually bore your
way to patency in the periodontal ligament space
B. Stop immediately and ll to where the ledge begins
C. Bind your irrigating needle in the canal and use
short bursts of irrigant to loosen any debris block-
ing the canal; this will reopen the natural canal
D. Prebend the tip of a small le, lubricate, and try to
negotiate around the ledge
E. Place citric acid or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid
in the canal to so en the dentin; a small Gates
Glidden or other rotary can be used to bypass the
ledge
15. Which of the following factors a ects long-term prog-
nosis of teeth a er perforation repair?
A. Size of the defect
B. Location of the defect
C. Time elapsed between the perforation and its
repair
D. All of the above
16. Which of the following statements best describes treat-
ment options for a separated instrument (e.g., nger
spreader) at the lling stage of treatment?
A. Immediately attempt to remove the instrument.
B. Do not attempt removal, and proceed to
obturation.
C. Attempt to bypass the obstructed instrument.
D. Both A and C are options.
17. Endodontically treated posterior teeth are more sus-
ceptible to fracture than untreated posterior teeth. e
best explanation for this is ____.
A. Moisture loss
B. Loss of root vitality
C. Plastic deformation of dentin
D. Destruction of the coronal architecture
18. ere is a horizontal root fracture in the middle third
of the root of tooth #10 in an 11-year-old patient. e
tooth is mobile and vital. How should this be treated?
A. Extract
B. Immediate pulpectomy and splint
C. Splint and observe
D. Do nothing and follow-up in 10 to 14 days
19. Which of the following is the best radiographic tech-
nique to identify a suspected horizontal root fracture
in a maxillary anterior central incisor?
A. Multiple Waters’ projections
B. Multiple angulated periapical radiographs in addi-
tion to a normal, parallel-angulated, periapical
radiograph
C. Panoramic radiograph
D. Reverse Towne’s projection
20. An 8-year-old boy sustained a traumatic injury to a
maxillary central incisor. Electrical and thermal vital-
ity tests performed 1 day later failed to elicit a response
from the tooth. is nding dictates ____.
A. Pulpectomy
B. Apexi cation
C. Calcium hydroxide pulpotomy
D. Delay for the purpose of reevaluation
21. Twisting a triangular wire best describes the manufac-
turing process of a ____.
A. Reamer
B. Barbed broach
C. Hedström le
D. K-Flex le
22. Direct pulp cap is recommended for teeth with ____.
A. Carious exposures
B. Mechanical exposures
C. Calci cation in the pulp chambers
D. Closed apices more than teeth with open apices
23. Which of the following is the treatment of choice for
a 7-year-old child with a nonvital tooth #30 with buccal
sinus tract?
A. Gutta-percha lling
B. Gutta-percha lling followed by root-end surgery
C. Extraction
D. Apexogenesis
E. Apexi cation
24. Which of the following is the main side e ect of
bleaching an endodontically treated tooth?
A. External cervical resorption
B. Demineralization of tooth structure
C. Gingival in ammation
25. What is the safest recommended intracoronal bleach-
ing chemical?
A. Hydrogen peroxide
B. Sodium perborate
C. Sodium hypochlorite
D. Carbamide peroxide
26. Pulp capping and pulpotomy can be more successful
in newly erupted teeth than in adult teeth because
____.
A. A greater number of odontoblasts are present
B. Of incomplete development of nerve endings
C. An open apex allows for greater circulation
D. e root is shorter
27. Zinc oxide eugenol is a good temporary restoration
because ____.

A. It is less irritating
B. It has increased strength over other restorations
C. It provides a good seal
D. It is inexpensive
28. During a routine 6-month endodontic treatment recall
evaluation, you note a marked decrease in the radio-
graphic size of the periradicular radiolucency. Which
of the following is the most appropriate treatment
plan?
A. Extraction
B. Nonsurgical endodontic retreatment
C. Recall the patient in another 6 months
D. Surgical endodontic retreatment
29. What is the radiographic sign of successful pulpotomy
in a permanent tooth?
A. Open apex
B. Apex has formed
C. Loss of periradicular lucency
D. No internal resorption
30. Which of the following statements is false regarding
internal root resorption?
A. It happens rarely in permanent teeth.
B. It appears as an asymmetrical “moth-eaten” lesion
in radiographs.
C. Chronic pulpal in ammation is the primary
cause.
D. Prompt endodontic therapy stops the process.
31. An emergency patient is diagnosed with symptomatic
irreversible pulpitis and symptomatic apical periodon-
titis of tooth #12. Which of the following is the best
treatment protocol for this patient?
A. Anesthesia followed by incision and drainage
B. Anesthesia followed by extraction
C. Anesthesia followed by pulpectomy
D. Prescribe antibiotic for 1 week and follow with
nonsurgical endodontic treatment
32. In which of the following conditions is elective root
canal therapy contraindicated?
A. AIDS
B. Recent myocardial infarction (MI)
C. Leukemia
D. Radiotherapy
E. Second trimester of pregnancy
33. What is the best timing for performing incision and
drainage at an area of infection?
A. When the swelling is hard and di use
B. When the area is the most painful
C. When the area is large
D. When the swelling is localized and uctuant
34. Endodontic infection usually is polymicrobial. What is
the predominate type of microorganism found in a
tooth that requires endodontic therapy?
A. Aerobic bacteria
B. Facultative bacteria
C. Obligate anaerobic bacteria
D. Yeast microorganisms
Sample Examination 373
35. e “danger zone” of mandibular molars for perfora-
tions during canal instrumentation is ____.
A. e periphery at the level of the dentinocemental
junction
B. Within 2 mm of the apex
C. e furcation area
D. e periphery of the access at the level of the
cementoenamel junction
36. What is the treatment of choice for an 8-year-old
patient who has a 1-mm intrusion injury of tooth #8?
A. Extract the tooth
B. Perform pulpotomy immediately
C. Immediately splint the tooth for 10 to 14 days
D. Allow the tooth to reerupt
37. On routine radiographic survey of a new patient, you
notice a circle-shaped radiolucency at the midroot and
over the pulpal outline of tooth #6. You take a second
mesially angulated radiograph and con rm the radio-
lucency is part of the pulp canal outline. A er a vital
response to cold testing, your diagnosis and subse-
quent treatment plan are ____.
A. Internal resorption and completion of nonsurgical
endodontic treatment
B. Internal resorption and surgical repair of the defect
C. External root resorption and forced orthodontic
eruption to expose the defect
D. External root resorption and extraction
38. During a nonvital bleaching procedure, if a barrier
material is not placed between the root canal lling
and bleaching material, the tooth can be subjected
to ____.
A. External cervical resorption
B. Demineralization of tooth structure
C. Gingival in ammation
D. Poor color improvement
39. A healthy 32-year-old man presents with localized uc-
tuant swelling associated with a necrotic pulp and an
apical diagnosis of acute apical abscess for tooth #5. e
principal modality or modalities for treating a localized
uctuant swelling include which of the following?
A. Administration of antibiotics
B. Achievement of drainage
C. Removal of the source of infection
D. Both A and C
E. Both B and C
40. Which of the following statements most accurately
describes the manufacturing process for a K-type hand
instrument?
A. Grinding a stainless steel wire to a tapered square
or triangular cross section
B. Twisting a square or rhomboid (cross section) non-
tapered silver metal blank
C. Grinding a silver metal blank to a nontapered
square or rhomboid cross section
D. Both B and C
E. All of the above