PRC Dentist Licensure flashcards

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

Trigeminal nerve maxillary branch

V2 exits the skull through the foramen rotundum and provides sensation to the midface, maxillary teeth, and palate via the infraorbital, greater palatine, and nasopalatine nerves.

Henderson-Hasselbalch equation

pH equals pKa plus the log of bicarbonate concentration divided by 0.03 times PaCO2. It describes the relationship between carbon dioxide and bicarbonate in acid-base balance.

Local anesthetic action mechanism

The uncharged base crosses the axon membrane, becomes protonated inside, and blocks voltage-gated sodium channels from within, preventing depolarization and nerve conduction.

Warfarin dental management

Warfarin inhibits vitamin K epoxide reductase, reducing factors II, VII, IX, and X. Dental extraction is generally safe when INR is below 3.5 with local hemostatic measures.

Enamel composition

Enamel is about 96 percent mineral by weight, mostly hydroxyapatite, with little organic material and water. Ameloblasts are lost at eruption, so enamel cannot regenerate.

Dentinal tubule direction

Dentinal tubules run from the pulp to the dentinoenamel junction in an S-shaped curve and are widest near the pulp, which increases sensitivity when dentin is exposed.

Red complex bacteria

Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola are the red complex associated with periodontitis; they colonize subgingival plaque and drive tissue destruction.

Odontogenic keratocyst features

The keratocyst has a parakeratinized lining with a palisaded hyperchromatic basal layer, satellite cysts, and high recurrence. It is linked to PTCH1 mutations and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

DMFT index

DMFT counts decayed, missing due to caries, and filled permanent teeth. The lowercase dmft applies to primary teeth, and DMFS counts affected surfaces instead of teeth.

Sensitivity and specificity

Sensitivity is true positives divided by true positives plus false negatives. Specificity is true negatives divided by true negatives plus false positives. Predictive values also depend on disease prevalence.

Water fluoridation concentration

Optimal water fluoride is about 0.7 to 1.0 mg per liter, reducing caries by roughly 20 to 40 percent. Fluorosis risk rises when concentration exceeds about 1.5 mg per liter.

Hill criteria temporality

Among Hill's causal criteria, temporality requires that exposure precede outcome. Other criteria include strength, consistency, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, experiment, and analogy.

Reversible pulpitis diagnosis

Reversible pulpitis causes sharp pain provoked by cold or sweet stimuli that resolves quickly after removal. There is no spontaneous pain, and the pulp remains vital and treatable.

Sodium hypochlorite irrigation

Sodium hypochlorite at 0.5 to 5.25 percent dissolves necrotic tissue and kills microorganisms but is cytotoxic. EDTA at 17 percent removes the smear layer before obturation.

Periodontal staging and grading

Staging from I to IV reflects severity and complexity using clinical attachment loss, probing depth, and bone loss. Grading from A to C reflects progression rate and risk factors.

Oral lichen planus

Oral lichen planus presents with bilateral white Wickham striae, often on the buccal mucosa. Erosive forms are painful, and long-term follow-up is advised because of malignant potential.

Inferior alveolar nerve block

The inferior alveolar nerve block deposits anesthetic in the pterygomandibular space near the mandibular foramen, anesthetizing mandibular teeth, lower lip, and chin on the injected side.

Le Fort fracture classification

Le Fort I is a low transverse maxillary fracture, Le Fort II is pyramidal and spares the nasal bones, and Le Fort III is craniofacial disjunction separating the entire midface.

Ludwig angina

Ludwig angina is bilateral cellulitis of the submandibular and sublingual spaces with tongue elevation, floor-of-mouth swelling, and airway compromise, requiring urgent airway management and antibiotics.

TMJ anterior dislocation

In TMJ dislocation the condyle lies anterior to the articular eminence, causing inability to close the mouth. Reduction uses downward and backward pressure on the mandible.

Posterior palatal seal

The posterior palatal seal lies at the junction of the hard and soft palate along the vibrating line, creating a valve seal that improves retention of a complete maxillary denture.

Implant osseointegration

Osseointegration is direct structural and functional connection between living bone and a loaded titanium implant surface, requiring primary stability and adequate bone volume.

Peri-implant mucositis versus peri-implantitis

Peri-implant mucositis is reversible soft tissue inflammation without bone loss. Peri-implantitis adds progressive bone loss and requires decontamination and possible surgical treatment.

Angle Class II malocclusion

In Angle Class II the mesiobuccal cusp of the maxillary first molar occludes mesial to the buccal groove of the mandibular first molar, often with a retrusive mandible.

Leeway space

Leeway space is the difference in mesiodistal width between primary molars and premolars, about 1.5 mm per side in the maxilla and 2.5 mm per side in the mandible.

Early childhood caries

Early childhood caries affects children under six, starting on maxillary anterior teeth. It is linked to frequent sugar exposure and bedtime bottles and is prevented by fluoride and diet counseling.

Pulpotomy in primary teeth

A pulpotomy removes the coronal pulp and preserves the radicular pulp using formocresol, ferric sulfate, or MTA. It is indicated when caries exposes the pulp without radicular involvement.

Panoramic focal trough

The focal trough is the curved image layer where structures appear sharpest on a panoramic radiograph. Objects outside it appear blurred, magnified, or ghosted.

CBCT radiation dose

Cone beam computed tomography uses a lower dose than medical CT, roughly 10 to 100 microsieverts for a small field of view, and provides three-dimensional bone imaging.

Bitewing radiograph use

Bitewing radiographs show crowns and interproximal bone and are best for detecting interproximal caries and monitoring alveolar bone levels in posterior teeth.

Informed consent elements

Valid informed consent requires patient capacity, disclosure of material risks and alternatives, patient understanding, and voluntary agreement, all documented in the clinical record.

Negligence four elements

A negligence claim requires duty of care, breach of that duty, causation linking breach to harm, and damages. The standard is that of a reasonably competent practitioner.