NEBDN Dental Nurse practice questions and answers 2026. Tap an option to test yourself — you'll see the correct answer and a plain-English explanation for every question. Free, no login.
Q21A patient reports persistent toothache and visible swelling. Clinical findings indicate inflammation inside the core of the tooth. Which structure is involved?
✓ Correct answer: C. Pulp chamber
The pulp chamber contains the tooth's nerve and blood supply; it is the site of inflammation when pulpitis develops. Why the other options are incorrect: • Enamel: Enamel has no nerve supply or blood vessels. • Dentine: Dentine conducts stimuli toward the pulp but is not where inflammation originates. • Cementum: Cementum coats the root surface and is unrelated to pulp inflammation. • Periodontal ligament: The periodontal ligament anchors the tooth in bone but is not the core tissue affected here.
Q22A dental chart labels the chewing surface of a premolar as the 'incisal surface.' What is the mistake in this notation?
✓ Correct answer: B. The correct term should be occlusal surface
Premolars have an occlusal surface used for chewing; the incisal surface is a term that applies only to anterior teeth such as incisors and canines. Why the other options are incorrect: • Incisal is a term reserved for posterior teeth: This is itself incorrect — incisal is a term for anterior teeth, not posterior ones. • Mesial was confused with distal: Confusing mesial and distal is an unrelated error and not what occurred here. • The lingual surface was omitted: Omitting the lingual surface is a separate issue and not the error being described. • The buccal surface was given the wrong label: Mislabelling the buccal surface is unrelated to incorrectly naming the chewing surface.
Q23A dental nurse identifies a charting error stating that enamel contains living cells. Which of the following correctly describes enamel?
✓ Correct answer: C. Enamel is a non-living tissue
Enamel is a non-vital, acellular tissue; once fully formed it contains no living cells. Why the other options are incorrect: • Enamel has a blood supply: Enamel is avascular and has no blood supply. • Enamel contains nerve fibres: Enamel contains no nerve fibres. • Enamel has a collagen matrix: Enamel does not have a collagen component. • Enamel is capable of self-repair: Enamel cannot regenerate or self-repair.
Q24A dental chart states that the submandibular gland's duct opens opposite the upper molar teeth. What is the nature of this error?
✓ Correct answer: A. Incorrect gland identified for that duct location
The submandibular duct opens beneath the tongue onto the floor of the mouth; the opening opposite the upper molars belongs to the parotid duct, so the wrong gland has been attributed to that location. Why the other options are incorrect: • Confusion between minor and major glands: The error is specifically about duct location, not about distinguishing minor from major glands. • Incorrect identification of the tongue structure: No tongue structure has been incorrectly identified; the mistake concerns duct openings. • Confusion between labial and buccal glands: Labial and buccal glands are unrelated to the duct opening described. • Mislabeling of gingiva: The gingiva is not implicated in this error.
Q25Describe the correct pathway that saliva takes from the submandibular gland into the oral cavity.
✓ Correct answer: B. Gland → Wharton's duct → Oral cavity
Saliva secreted by the submandibular gland travels through Wharton's duct before emptying into the oral cavity. Why the other options are incorrect: • Gland → Stensen's duct → Oral cavity: Stensen's duct is the excretory duct of the parotid gland, not the submandibular gland. • Gland → Minor ducts → Oral cavity: Minor ducts are not the primary drainage pathway for the submandibular gland. • Gland → Parotid duct → Oral cavity: The parotid duct drains the parotid gland and has no connection to the submandibular gland. • Gland → Palatal duct → Oral cavity: There is no palatal duct associated with the submandibular gland.
Q26During a molar restoration, the dentist is treating the biting surface used for grinding food. A dental nurse needs to identify this surface. What is it called?
✓ Correct answer: C. Occlusal surface
The occlusal surface is the functional biting and grinding surface found on posterior teeth such as molars and premolars. Why the other options are incorrect: • Buccal surface: The buccal surface faces the inner cheek and is not the top biting surface. • Lingual surface: The lingual surface faces the tongue and is not the chewing surface. • Mesial surface: The mesial surface is the side of the tooth closest to the dental midline, not the biting surface. • Incisal surface: Incisal surfaces belong to anterior teeth such as incisors and canines, not to molars.
Q27During a clinical examination, a dentist notices areas of wear on the grinding surfaces of the back teeth. Which anatomical term correctly identifies these surfaces?
✓ Correct answer: C. Occlusal surfaces
The occlusal surfaces are the grinding surfaces of posterior teeth and are the most common sites where wear facets develop. Why the other options are incorrect: • Buccal surfaces: Buccal surfaces are oriented toward the cheeks. • Lingual surfaces: Lingual surfaces are directed toward the tongue. • Mesial surfaces: Mesial surfaces face toward the midline of the dental arch. • Distal surfaces: Distal surfaces face away from the midline of the arch.
Q28A patient reports a noticeable swelling in front of the ear that worsens at mealtimes. Which salivary gland is most likely responsible?
✓ Correct answer: C. Parotid gland
The parotid gland sits anterior to the ear and typically enlarges in response to salivary stimulation, such as when eating. Why the other options are incorrect: • Submandibular gland: The submandibular gland is situated below the lower jaw, not near the ear. • Sublingual gland: The sublingual gland lies beneath the tongue, away from the ear region. • Minor salivary glands: Minor salivary glands are diffusely distributed and do not produce a distinct localised swelling near the ear. • Labial glands: Labial glands are small glands within the lips and are not located in the pre-auricular area.
Q29A dental chart describes the posterior, non-bony section of the palate as the hard palate. What type of error does this represent?
✓ Correct answer: A. Misidentification of a muscular structure as a bony one
The soft palate is composed of muscle, while the hard palate is bony; labelling the muscular soft palate as the hard palate is therefore an anatomical misidentification of tissue type. Why the other options are incorrect: • Confusion between the tongue and the palate: The tongue is an entirely distinct structure from the palate and is not relevant to this charting error. • An error in quadrant identification: Quadrant identification applies to the classification of teeth, not to palate structures, so this is unrelated. • Mislabelling of the gingiva: The gingiva surrounds the teeth and has no connection to this particular error. • Confusion between buccal mucosa and labial mucosa: The buccal and labial mucosae line the cheeks and lips respectively and are not implicated in this mistake.
Q30The dentist refers to tooth 31 during an examination. Which tooth is being indicated?
✓ Correct answer: A. Lower left central incisor
In the FDI system, quadrant 3 covers the lower left, and position 1 is the central incisor, so tooth 31 is the lower left central incisor. Why the other options are incorrect: • Lower right central incisor: The lower right central incisor carries the FDI number 41. • Upper left central incisor: The upper left central incisor is numbered 21. • Upper right central incisor: The upper right central incisor is numbered 11. • Lower left lateral incisor: The lower left lateral incisor is numbered 32, not 31.
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