Applying to Dental School
Dental Tools
Tooth Trivia
DAT questions
Specialty questions
100

This is the professional degree earned by most US dental students. though a similar DMD degree exists (the whole name

what is Doctor of Dental Surgery

100

This tool allows for indirect vision, and retraction during exams and procedures

what is a mouth mirror

100

how many adult teeth are typically found in the adult mouth

32

100

This organelle contains its own circular DNA and replicates independently of the cell cycle

what is the mitochondria

100

This specialty corrects malocclusion by guiding tooth movement and jaw growth using nonsurgical techniques such braces and aligners

orthodontics

200

This organization oversees the centralized application service known as AADSAS

What is the ADEA

200

This high-speed air driver instrument spins at up to 400,000 rpm and is used for cutting enamel and shaping preparations

What is a handpiece

200

In the Universal Numbering System, letters are used to denote permanent teeth. What is used to denote deciduous teeth? (bonus for knowing the range of letters)

what are letters

A-T

200

This quantum number determines the shape of the orbital and has values between 0 to n-1

What is l

200

This specialty performs procedures like guided tissue regeneration, crown lengthening, and connective tissue grafting 

What is periodontics


300

This organization oversees the centralized application service known as AADSAS (please provide the acronym and whole name)

What is the ADEA 

American Dental Education Association

300

this diagnostic instrument measures sulcular depth, detecting bleeding on probing, and identifying early periodontal breakdown.

What is a Periodontal (perio) probe

300

This is the last permanent tooth that replaces a primary tooth (succedanous)

DONT FORGET THE ARCH

What is the maxillary canine

300

The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) stems off of this cranial nerve

CN V (trigeminal nerve)

300

This specialty manages panfacial trauma, resolves malocclusion via surgical intervention (BSSO/ Le Fort), and reconstructs defects using bone grafts

What is oral and maxillofacial surgery

400

This 2020 reform replaced the NDBE Part 1 and 2 with a single pass/fail exam

(acronym and name)

what is the INBDE

Integrated National Board Dental Examination

400

This device measures electrical resistance to determine working length during root canal treatment

What is an apex locator

400

Angle categorized the 3 classes of occlusion intuitively named Class I, II, and III. 

(what do these mean?)

I: normal molar alignment

II: distal mandibular molar

III: mesial mandibular molar

400

This reagent converts a secondary alcohol into a ketone without over-oxidation

What is PCC

400

This specialty manages teeth whose apical tissues tend to have chronic inflammation even after conventional therapies. These interventions often require biologic attempts to induce continued root development in immature teeth, or if persistent lesions remain, precision microsurgery to remove diseased periapical tissues.

what is endodontics

500

This national body sets the standards that dental schools must meet to maintain accreditation, and its site visits determine whether programs remain in good standing. 

(acronym and full name)


What is CODA

 Commission on Dental Accreditation

500

Despite looking like extraction forceps, this instrument is actually designed to bite small pieces of bone and is commonly used to smooth sharp alveolar edges

what is a rongeur


500

These are the three major functional occlusion schemes

(bonus if you know what balanced occlusion is)

Canine Guidance

Group Function

Balanced Occlusion

500

During the process of gastrulation, this structure is formed even in the most primitive organisms

the gut tube


500

Thsi specialty corrects skeletal discrepancies using a variety of appliances (MARA, rapid palatal expanders), and often coordinates with orthognathic surgery. 

NOT ORTHODONTICS

dentofacial orthopedics

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