Dentistry
Dentistry questions test charting accuracy, periodontal staging, prophylaxis sequence, and recognition of painful oral disease. The examiner expects you to know that dental care is a nursing procedure with anesthesia, radiography, and client education built in.
Charting and staging
- Use the Modified Triadan system: 100/200 upper right/left, 300/400 lower left/right.
- Normal gingival sulcus is roughly 1-3 mm in dogs and 0.5-1 mm in cats. Probe six sites per tooth and record bleeding, mobility, and furcation.
- Periodontal stages: 1 = gingivitis without attachment loss; 2 = less than 25% attachment loss; 3 = 25-50%; 4 = greater than 50%, often with mobility.
Prophylaxis sequence
- Complete oral exam and dental radiographs under anesthesia.
- Scale supragingivally, then subgingivally.
- Polish with a fine paste to smooth enamel; rough enamel retains plaque.
- Irrigate, chart, and apply fluoride only if your protocol allows.
- Send the patient home with a brushing plan and veterinary-approved chews.
Worked example
A 6-year-old cat has halitosis, a missing crown, and a radiograph showing root resorption. Scaling alone is inappropriate; the tooth is a feline odontoclastic resorptive lesion and needs extraction. The nurse explains that the lesion is painful even if the cat still eats.
Traps that cost marks
Charting by eye only; skipping polishing after scaling; using human toothpaste, which contains fluoride and sometimes xylitol; probing a painful mouth without anesthesia; and telling the client that dental cleaning is cosmetic.