NBDE Part II case studies
NBDE Part II · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part II is the second component of the two-part board examination sequence that dental graduates historically used to demonstrate the biomedical and clinical knowledge expected of a new practitioner in the United States. It is aimed at students in their final year of a CODA-accredited DDS or DMD program and at internationally trained dentists working through a licensure pathway. The NBDE Part II case studies are 5 cases and about 3,337 words.
1Asymptomatic necrotic molar in a patient on warfarin
A 61-year-old man is referred for evaluation of tooth #14 before a planned crown. Medical history: type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 7.2%), hypertension, and atrial fibrillation on warfarin with an INR of 2.6 that has been stable for 6 months.
654 words, about 3 min2Residual pockets, a furcation, and a request for an implant
A 44-year-old woman returns for re-evaluation 6 weeks after full-mouth scaling and root planing. She smokes 12 cigarettes per day and has type 2 diabetes managed with metformin alone; her most recent HbA1c is 8.4%.
686 words, about 3 min3A failed complete denture in a patient demanding "fixed teeth"
A 68-year-old woman has been edentulous in the maxilla for 15 years and wears a 12-year-old complete denture. She reports looseness when speaking, food collecting under the denture, and sore spots on the anterior ridge.
689 words, about 3 min4Anticoagulant, NSAID, and an extraction request
A 72-year-old man requests extraction of tooth #31 (8 mm pocket, mobility II, no swelling) and of #3 (fractured cusp). Medical history: atrial fibrillation on apixaban 5 mg twice daily, hypertension on lisinopril 20 mg, and osteoarthritis on naproxen 500 mg twice daily for 5 years.
654 words, about 3 min5A frightened 6-year-old, a swollen face, and a mother who wants antibiotics
A 6-year-old boy arrives for a first visit with his mother. Three primary molars have caries; tooth T has a large cavity, and his mother reports he woke twice last night in pain and has had intermittent left cheek swelling for 2 days.
654 words, about 3 min