Chapter 35 - Pit and Fissure Sealants (Evolve Practice Quiz) Questions And Answers

Which of the following tooth surfaces are most prone to dental caries in school-age children? A. Occlusal surfaces of maxillary first premolars B. Occlusal surfaces of mandibular premolars C. Occlusal surfaces of mandibular first molars D. Lingual surfaces of maxillary anterior teeth - ANS C. Occlusal surfaces of mandibular first molars Detecting a carious lesion involves gathering information. This is part of the assessment phase of the dental hygiene process. Placing a sealant, applying a fluoride treatment, and giving oral hygiene instruction involve delivering or implementing dental hygiene care. Which of the following is part of the assessment phase of the dental hygiene process? A. Giving oral hygiene instruction B. Applying a fluoride treatment C. Detecting a possible carious lesion D. Placing a sealant - ANS C. Detecting a possible carious lesion Pit and fissure surfaces of first and second permanent molars are considered the highest priority in school-based sealant programs. Mandibular first molars are most susceptible to dental caries because they are the first permanent posterior teeth to erupt in the mouth. Mandibular and maxillary first premolars erupt later than first molars and have less defined pits and fissures. Lingual surfaces of maxillary anterior teeth seldom have pits and fissures. Dental sealants reduce dental caries for which of the following reasons? A. They promote remineralization of the tooth structure. B. All are applicable. C. They act as a physical barrier to dental decay. D. They have long retention rates. - ANS C. They act as a physical barrier to dental decay. In order for dental caries to occur, the following three factors must be present: a fermentable carbohydrate, a susceptible tooth surface, and bacteria. Through placement of a dental sealant, the susceptible tooth surface is eliminated from the equation and dental caries are prevented. Only sealants with fluoride promote remineralization of the tooth structure. Sealant do have a long retention rate, but it reduces decay because it acts as a barrier to caries. Which of the following statements about acid etching are true? A. All are applicable. B. It decreases the amount of time it takes for the sealant to polymerize. C. The etchant material used is 15% to 50% acid. D. It reduces the size of the micropores in the enamel. - ANS C. The etchant material used is 15% to 50% acid. The acid etchant supplied by manufacturers is 15% to 50% acid. The purpose of acid placement is to create microscopic pores on the enamel surface to increase sealant retention. The acid etchant does not affect polymerization time or decrease the size of the micropores in the enamel. What is the proper curing time for a photopolymerized sealant material? A. 10 to 15 seconds B. 80 to 90 seconds C. 45 to 60 seconds D. 20 to 30 seconds - ANS D. 20 to 30 seconds Curing time is usually 20 to 30 seconds depending on the manufacturer. If curing time is less than the manufacturer's recommended time, the polymerization process of the monomer will be incomplete and early loss of the sealant may occur. Curing time should not exceed the time recommended by the manufacturer. Which of the following sealant materials do not contain fluoride? A. Polyacid modified resin B. Glass ionomer C. Resin modified glass ionomer D. Resin based - ANS D. Resin based Resin-based sealants do not contain fluoride. Glass ionomer (GI) based sealants contain fluoride. Glass ionomer sealants are used for their fluoride releasing properties. Polyacid modified resin sealants are compomers that combine resin-based material found in traditional resin-based sealants with the fluoride releasing and adhesive properties of glass ionomer sealants. Resin modified GI sealants are glass ionomer sealants with resin components and have fluoride releasing properties similar to GI sealants. Which type of sealant is more commonly used in the school setting? A. Filled autopolymerized B. Unfilled photopolymerized C. Unfilled autopolymerized D. Filled photopolymerized - ANS C. Unfilled autopolymerized Autopolymerized unfilled sealants are used more commonly in school settings because additional equipment is not required to adjust the sealant or to polymerize the sealant material. Adjustment to the sealant using additional equipment is required to place filled autopolymerized sealants. Filled photopolymerized sealants require additional equipment for sealant adjustment and for polymerization. Unfilled photopolymerized sealants require additional equipment for polymerization. Which of the following is the most common reason sealants fail? A. Using an unfilled sealant rather than a filled sealant B. Improper mixing of the sealant material C. Using autopolymerized rather than photopolymerized sealants D. Contamination of the field by saliva - ANS D. Contamination of the field by saliva Studies indicate that contamination of the field by saliva is the most common reason sealants fail. Improper mixing of the sealant material will cause a sealant to fail, but it is not the most common reason. Unfilled, filled, autopolymerized, and photopolymerized sealants do not impact failure of the sealant. Children with sealants have a greater risk of caries than children who have not had sealants placed. Sealant placement is overutilized in the United States. A. The first statement is true. B. Both statements are true. C. Both statements are false. D. The second statement is false. - ANS C. Both statements are false. Children and adolescents who have sealants placed on sound occlusal surfaces or on noncavitated carious lesions experience a 76% reduction in the risk of developing new carious lesions compared to those that do not receive sealants. Moreover, after more than 7 years of follow-up, children and adolescents with sealants had a caries incidence of 29%, whereas those without sealants had a caries incidence of 74%. Despite their effectiveness at preventing and controlling the progression of occlusal caries, dental sealants are underutilized especially in children at high risk for dental caries. Less than 20% of children living in poverty have received sealants compared to 32% of higher income children. Your patient has an area on the occlusal of tooth #3 that looks suspicious. The fissure appears slightly white with light yellowish brownish spots in the pits. Which of the following should you do? A. Apply fluoride varnish to the tooth. B. Apply sealant to the tooth. C. Restore the tooth. D. Explore the pits and fissures and then seal the tooth if the explorer does not stick in the pits. - ANS C. Restore the tooth. Sealant placement is recommended for noncavitated lesions because the lesions are at risk for caries progression. Clinically, they appear as white demineralized lines or spots, or areas of yellowish brownish discoloration around the pits and fissures of teeth (initial, early, or white spot carious lesions visually confined to the enamel). Sealants have been shown to be more effective in reducing the incidence of occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars of children and adolescents when compared to fluoride varnish. Sharp explorers are not recommended for caries detection because they may cause a cavitation in any demineralized surface of the enamel; however a dull explorer or a ball probe can be dragged along the occlusal surface to evaluate whether the surface is rough or smooth. Cavitated lesions should be restored. Adhesive cements can improve retention of resin-based sealants. Adhesives are recommended for placement in school-based sealant programs.