MDC Licensing Examination — Dentistry

Sample Dentistry practice questions

Try these 12 questions from different topics. Open "Show answer" to check yourself and read the explanation.

1. Question 1 · Diagnosis & Treatment Planning

   Before irreversible dental treatment, what should the clinician do?

   1. A.Confirm the patient, diagnosis, relevant history, consent and intended tooth or site
   2. B.Rely only on the appointment title
   3. C.Treat the tooth selected by another patient
   4. D.Skip radiographic or clinical correlation when indicated
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Confirm the patient, diagnosis, relevant history, consent and intended tooth or site

   Structured verification and informed consent reduce wrong-patient, wrong-site and diagnostic harm.

2. Question 2 · Dental Emergencies

   A patient with dental infection develops stridor and increasing difficulty breathing. What takes priority?

   1. A.Routine polishing
   2. B.Immediate airway assessment and emergency escalation
   3. C.Elective shade selection
   4. D.Waiting for a scheduled review
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Immediate airway assessment and emergency escalation

   Airway compromise is time-critical and takes priority over definitive routine dental care.

3. Question 3 · Prevention, IPC & Professionalism

   Which statement about standard precautions in dentistry is correct?

   1. A.They apply only when HIV is confirmed
   2. B.Gloves replace hand hygiene
   3. C.They apply to every patient regardless of known infection status
   4. D.Single-use devices may always be reprocessed
   Show answer

   Answer: C. They apply to every patient regardless of known infection status

   Standard precautions are the minimum infection-prevention practices for all patient care.

4. Question 4 · Oral & Maxillofacial Anatomy

   The inferior alveolar nerve block anaesthetises the lower teeth on one side and also the:

   1. A.Whole tongue on both sides and the hard palate
   2. B.Upper molars on the same side
   3. C.Lower lip and chin on that side
   4. D.Skin of the cheek over the zygoma
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Lower lip and chin on that side

   The mental branch supplies the lower lip and chin; the lingual nerve is often anaesthetised too (anterior two-thirds of the tongue).

5. Question 5 · Tooth Morphology & Notation

   In the FDI two-digit system, tooth 11 is the:

   1. A.Lower left permanent central incisor, closest to the midline of the mandible
   2. B.Upper left permanent lateral incisor
   3. C.Upper right permanent central incisor
   4. D.Upper right primary central incisor
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Upper right permanent central incisor

   First digit = quadrant (1 upper right, 2 upper left, 3 lower left, 4 lower right); second = tooth from the midline.

6. Question 6 · Occlusion & Articulators

   In Angle's Class I molar relationship, the mesiobuccal cusp of the upper first molar occludes:

   1. A.Distal to the lower first molar, between it and the second molar
   2. B.In the buccal groove of the lower first molar
   3. C.Mesial to the lower first molar buccal groove by one full cusp
   4. D.On the lingual cusp of the lower first molar
   Show answer

   Answer: B. In the buccal groove of the lower first molar

   Class II: lower molar distal to Class I; Class III: lower molar mesial.

7. Question 7 · Cariology & Caries Prevention

   The bacterium most associated with the initiation of dental caries is:

   1. A.Porphyromonas gingivalis, which lives in deep periodontal pockets
   2. B.Treponema pallidum
   3. C.Streptococcus mutans
   4. D.Candida albicans
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Streptococcus mutans

   S. mutans ferments sugars to acid and adheres to teeth; lactobacilli contribute to progression.

8. Question 8 · Community Oral Health

   The DMFT index records:

   1. A.The number of dental surgeons per million people in the population
   2. B.Decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth per person
   3. C.Dental mobility and fracture of teeth
   4. D.Daily mouthwash frequency
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth per person

   Lower-case dmft is used for primary teeth; DMFT summarises caries experience.

9. Question 9 · Periodontology

   The main aetiological factor in gingivitis is:

   1. A.Vitamin C deficiency in the diet of most adults in West Africa
   2. B.Calculus alone
   3. C.Hormonal changes
   4. D.Dental plaque biofilm
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Dental plaque biofilm

   Plaque causes inflammation; calculus is a retentive factor, and hormones modify the response.

10. Question 10 · Oral Pathology & Oral Medicine

    The most common malignant tumour of the oral cavity is:

    1. A.Squamous cell carcinoma
    2. B.Adenocarcinoma arising from the minor salivary glands of the palate
    3. C.Malignant melanoma
    4. D.Osteosarcoma of the jaw
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Squamous cell carcinoma

    High-risk sites include the lateral border of the tongue and the floor of the mouth.

11. Question 11 · Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics

    In G.V. Black's classification, a cavity on the proximal surface of a premolar is:

    1. A.Class I, because it involves the biting surface of a back tooth
    2. B.Class II
    3. C.Class III
    4. D.Class V
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Class II

    Class III/IV are proximal anterior (IV includes the incisal edge); Class V is cervical.

12. Question 12 · Exodontia & Oral Surgery

    Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) typically presents:

    1. A.Within the first hour after extraction with heavy bleeding from the socket
    2. B.After 6 weeks with swelling of the neck
    3. C.2–4 days after extraction with severe pain and an empty socket
    4. D.Immediately as numbness of the lip
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 2–4 days after extraction with severe pain and an empty socket

    Risk factors: smoking, lower molar extraction, traumatic surgery, oral contraceptives.