ADEX Dental flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Stephan curve

A graph of dental plaque pH after exposure to fermentable carbohydrate, showing a rapid fall below the critical pH of about 5.5 and a gradual recovery over 20 to 60 minutes.

RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, produced by osteoblasts and periodontal ligament cells, binds RANK on osteoclast precursors to drive differentiation and bone resorption; osteoprotegerin is its soluble decoy receptor.

Paralleling technique

An intraoral radiographic method placing the receptor parallel to the tooth's long axis with the central ray directed perpendicular to it, minimizing distortion; it requires a film holder.

Bisecting angle technique

An intraoral method in which the central ray is aimed perpendicular to the plane bisecting the angle between the tooth long axis and the receptor, reducing elongation and foreshortening.

Cone beam CT dose

A small field-of-view CBCT scan delivers roughly 20 to 100 microsieverts, similar to a few panoramic images but far less than medical CT; choose the smallest field needed.

C-factor

The ratio of bonded to unbonded surface area in a preparation. Class I cavities approach 5, restricting resin flow and raising polymerization shrinkage stress and marginal gap risk.

Total-etch technique

Etching enamel and dentin with 37 percent phosphoric acid, then rinsing and leaving dentin moist so primer can infiltrate the expanded collagen network before bonding.

Silver diamine fluoride

A 38 percent topical caries-arresting agent that promotes remineralization and cross-links collagen; it permanently stains demineralized tooth structure black, limiting esthetic use.

Working length

The distance from a coronal reference point to a point 0.5 to 1.0 mm short of the apical foramen, guiding instrumentation and obturation; confirm with an apex locator and radiograph.

MB2 canal

A second mesiobuccal canal present in roughly 60 to 80 percent of maxillary first molars, located palatal to MB1 and frequently missed without magnification and careful troughing.

Sodium hypochlorite

The primary endodontic irrigant at 0.5 to 5.25 percent; it dissolves necrotic tissue and kills planktonic bacteria but does not remove the smear layer, which requires EDTA.

Clinical attachment level

The distance from the cementoenamel junction to the base of the sulcus or pocket, calculated as probing depth plus recession; it quantifies cumulative attachment loss.

Red complex

The three periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola, strongly associated with deep pockets and progressive periodontitis.

Ante's law

The total root surface area of the abutments supporting a fixed partial denture should equal or exceed the root surface area of the teeth being replaced.

Ferrule effect

A 1.5 to 2 mm circumferential collar of sound tooth structure coronal to the restoration margin that resists levering forces and lowers root fracture risk.

Kennedy Class I

A removable partial denture situation with bilateral edentulous areas posterior to the remaining teeth; it is tooth- and tissue-supported and rotates around the abutments during function.

Dry socket

Localized alveolar osteitis appearing 2 to 4 days after extraction from clot fibrinolysis, with severe pain, an empty socket and exposed bone; treat with irrigation and eugenol dressing.

MRONJ

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: exposed bone persisting more than eight weeks in a patient receiving antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drugs, with no radiation history or metastasis.

Lingual nerve injury

A complication of mandibular third molar surgery from retraction or laceration near the lingual plate, causing transient or permanent tongue numbness, taste change and dysesthesia.

Erythroplakia

A fiery red mucosal patch that cannot be attributed clinically or pathologically to another condition; it carries the highest malignant transformation rate of any oral lesion.

Ameloblastoma

A benign but locally aggressive odontogenic epithelial tumor of the posterior mandible showing multilocular soap-bubble radiolucency; treatment is resection with adequate margins.

Leeway space

The difference between the mesiodistal widths of primary canines and molars and their permanent successors, about 1.5 mm per side maxillary and 2.5 mm mandibular.

Avulsion management

Replant a permanent tooth immediately if possible; otherwise store it in milk or saline, handle only the crown, and splint flexibly for two weeks with tetanus coverage.

Lidocaine maximum dose

For a healthy adult, 4.4 mg per kg up to an absolute maximum of 300 mg; each 1.8 mL cartridge of 2 percent lidocaine contains 36 mg.

Methemoglobinemia

Cyanosis unresponsive to oxygen with dyspnea and chocolate-colored blood, caused by prilocaine or benzocaine overdose; treat with intravenous methylene blue.

Gow-Gates technique

A mandibular nerve block depositing solution at the condylar neck, anesthetizing the inferior alveolar, lingual and mylohyoid nerves with higher success than conventional blocks.

Four Ds of negligence

Duty owed to the patient, dereliction of that duty, direct causation, and damages; all four elements must be proven for a malpractice claim.

Informed consent elements

Disclosure of diagnosis, proposed treatment, material risks and benefits, alternatives including no treatment, and the patient's voluntary agreement free of coercion.

HIPAA Privacy Rule

Requires protecting health information, limiting disclosures to the minimum necessary, honoring patient access requests, and notifying affected individuals after a breach.

Spaulding classification

Categorizes devices as critical, semicritical or noncritical according to tissue contact, determining whether sterilization, high-level disinfection or low-level disinfection is required.

Biological indicator

A test vial containing resistant bacterial spores, Geobacillus stearothermophilus for steam or Bacillus atrophaeus for dry heat and ethylene oxide, incubated weekly to verify sterilizer efficacy.

HIV postexposure prophylaxis

Antiretroviral prophylaxis started within 2 hours of a significant occupational exposure when indicated, after washing the site and reporting through the exposure control plan.