1. Which of the following BEST describes a public health approach to dental care?
A) focuses on individual treatment
B) emphasizes prevention for populations
C) provides care primarily through private practices
D) relies on out-of-pocket payments from patients
2. Which group is MOST vulnerable to poor oral health outcomes according to Healthy People 2020 objectives?
A) elderly
B) children ages 2-5
C) socioeconomically disadvantaged populations
D) all of the above
3. Water fluoridation is considered the MOST effective public health measure for preventing dental caries because:
A) it allows appropriate fluoride intake from infancy throughout life.
B) it benefits all residents of a community, regardless of socioeconomic status or access to care.
C) compliance is nearly universal once a community water supply is fluoridated.
D) all of the above
4. A major challenge in oral health promotion programs for preschool children is:
A) lack of supportive policies
B) inadequate fluoride levels in community water supplies
C) limited caregiver interest in children’s oral health
D) inadequate dental workforce
5. The Health Belief Model suggests that people are MORE likely to take action if they:
A) perceive themselves as susceptible to oral disease
B) perceive oral disease as causing only minor problems
C) perceive few benefits associated with preventive behavior
D) perceive barriers to preventive dental care as insignificant
6. All of the following are strategies used in community-based programs for oral health promotion EXCEPT:
A) school-based sealant programs
B) risk assessment and anticipatory guidance
C) care coordination through medical-dental integration
D) emphasis on restorative treatment over prevention
7. The extent to which a program achieves its intended outcomes is referred to as its:
A) efficacy
B) effectiveness
C) efficiency
D) equity
8. A group of concerned parents who meets regularly to discuss issues affecting children’s oral health in their community and works to address these issues through advocacy and education is an example of:
A) community organization
B) professional organization
C) grassroots organization
D) interprofessional organization
9. An examples of a high-risk group for early childhood caries is:
A) children with special health care needs
B) children from high socioeconomic backgrounds
C) children with private dental insurance
D) children whose parents have postgraduate education
10. Which of the following BEST summarizes the core functions of public health?
A) Assessment, assurance, advocacy
B) Prevention, treatment, response
C) Screening, referral, education
D) Outreach, enrollment, restoration
11. The extent to which a public health program achieves maximum impact with minimum use of resources is referred to as its:
A) sustainability
B) efficiency
C) accessibility
D) transparency
12. A program that integrates oral health promotion into primary care visits through activities such as risk assessment, education, anticipatory guidance and application of fluoride varnish is an example of:
A) selective prevention
B) targeted prevention
C) indicated prevention
D) primary prevention
13. Two community health centers developed separate programs to promote oral health among underserved preschool children. Center A conducted exams, applied sealants and referred children to dentists. Center B provided education, applied fluoride varnish and made dental referrals as needed. According to the levels of prevention, Center B’s program best represents:
A) primary prevention
B) secondary prevention
C) tertiary prevention
D) selective prevention
14. A school that organizes an oral health fair where various organizations provide toothbrushes, sealants, fluoride and oral health education is engaging in which type of intervention:
A) clinical intervention
B) health education intervention
C) policy intervention
D) environmental intervention
15. For a policy to effectively promote oral health equity, it should aim to:
A) eliminate financial barriers to care
B) expand public and private insurance coverage
C) standardize reimbursement rates for all providers
D) focus on disease treatment over prevention
16. The socio-ecological model views health as being shaped not only by individual factors but also by:
A) policy
B) environment
C) social networks
D) all of the above
17. Which of the following groups bears the GREATEST burden of oral disease according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health?
A) older adults
B) individuals with low socioeconomic status
C) individuals residing in rural areas
D) racial/ethnic minority groups
18. An important goal of community water fluoridation is to:
A) decrease disparities in caries experience across populations
B) increase the frequency of regular dental visits
C) promote remineralization of early carious lesions
D) shift the caries distribution curve to the left for populations
19. According to the 2002 Institute of Medicine report, which group lacks access to preventive oral health services and cares for disproportionately large numbers of Medicaid-enrolled children?
A) private dental practices
B) community health centers
C) dental schools
D) public health clinics
20. A teacher at an elementary school notices that several children have untreated cavities. She arranges for a screening where a dental hygienist examines the children and follows up with treatment referrals as needed. This effort demonstrates:
A) primary prevention
B) secondary prevention
C) tertiary prevention
D) community involvement
21. Providing school-based dental sealant programs is an example of:
A) targeted prevention
B) universal prevention
C) indicated prevention
D) selective prevention
22. Assessment and surveillance to identify communities most burdened by oral disease is a key step in:
A) prevention
B) treatment
C) restoration
D) planning
23. A public health approach to reduce oral health disparities should incorporate strategies to:
A) expand the oral health workforce
B) address socioeconomic determinants of health
C) integrate care across medical and dental providers
D) all of the above
24. According to the Chronic Care Model, for effective chronic disease management interactions must be strengthened between:
A) practitioners and community resources
B) health systems and community health centers
C) patients and practitioners
D) payers and providers
25. Providing nutrition counseling, cooking demonstrations and oral hygiene instruction as part of a diabetes self-management program represents:
A) primary prevention
B) secondary prevention
C) tertiary prevention
D) community outreach
26. A kindergarten class receives education on proper brushing and flossing techniques, applies fluoride varnish and receives sealants. This combination of activities represents:
A) primary prevention
B) secondary prevention
C) tertiary prevention
D) selective prevention
27. Public policies that regulate sugar-sweetened beverages aim to address which level of influence according to the socio-ecological model?
A) individual
B) interpersonal
C) community
D) public policy
28. A school participates in a Medicaid program that provides preventive oral health services and treatment in portable dental vans stationed on school property once per month. This program demonstrates which concept?
A) co-location of services
B) integration of services
C) continuum of services
D) coordination of services
29. A clinic that provides dental care targeted toward economically disadvantaged high-risk groups, like pregnant women or families with young children, represents which type of safety net provider?
A) community health center
B) public health clinic
C) migrant health center
D) dental school clinics
30. Providing toothpaste and toothbrushes for families at a soup kitchen exemplifies a/an:
A) clinical intervention
B) health promotion intervention
C) policy intervention
D) environmental intervention
31. A public health dentist who oversees county-wide school-based oral health programs and develops collaborative relationships with medical providers to integrate oral health promotion is engaging in which core public health function?
A) assessment
B) policy development
C) assurance
D) surveillance
32. According to Healthy People 2010, how much of cavities in permanent teeth of children could potentially be prevented through the use of dental sealants?
A) 10-30%
B) 30-50%
C) 50-80%
D) >80%
33. The rates of dental care utilization tend to be lowest among which groups?
A) elderly
B) children
C) individuals with private dental insurance
D) active duty military personnel
34. A supervised rinse program that provides weekly fluoride rinses in schools located in high-risk communities is an example of:
A) primary prevention
B) secondary prevention
C) selective prevention
D) targeted prevention
35. A public health dentist implemented a policy to include dental screenings and fluoride varnish application as part of annual well-child visits in a community health center. This effort exemplifies which strategy?
A) health promotion
B) disease prevention
C) risk assessment
D) integration of services
36. Lesion progression from the initiation of the caries process to cavitation can be halted or reversed due to:
A) effective plaque control
B) restoration of carious lesions
C) topical fluoride application
D) all of the above
37. Which statement about community water fluoridation is TRUE?
A) It disproportionately benefits high-income groups with access to dental care.
B) Its costs often outweigh its benefits, limiting its appeal.
C) Water supplies must be fluoridated at either low or undetectable levels.
D) It is the most equitable and cost-effective measure to prevent dental caries.
38. School personnel, health care providers and community leaders formed a coalition to implement which type of program?
A) water fluoridation
B) sealant program
C) education campaign
D) appointment transportation
39. An important indicator for monitoring progress toward the objectives of Healthy People 2020 is the:
A) number of untreated dental caries
B) percentage of population receiving annual dental exams
C) fluoride levels in water supplies
D) density of practicing dentists
40. According to the chronic disease prevention and health promotion model, which factor has the greatest impact on health outcomes?
A) access to medical care
B) health behaviors
C) socioeconomic status
D) physical environment
41. Collaboration between physicians and dentists to facilitate oral screenings, risk assessments, application of fluoride varnish and dental referrals for at-risk patients exemplifies:
A) the chronic care model
B) co-location of services
C) medical-dental integration
D) selective prevention
42. A significant strength of school-based dental programs is their ability to:
A) reach large numbers of underserved children efficiently
B) provide restorative treatment on an urgent basis
C) facilitate care coordination for referred services
D) replace private dental practices as the primary source of care
43. An important challenge in expanding access to dental care for underserved populations is a lack of:
A) dental benefits under public insurance programs
B) willingness among dentists to treat Medicaid patients
C) trained oral health professionals
D) community health centers with dental capabilities
44. The period during which a root surface caries lesion may be reversed through remineralization due to enhanced fluoride exposure on the lesion surface, often involving silver diamine fluoride application is called:
A) quiescent stage
B) active caries stage
C) arrest phase
D) decalcification phase
45. Which of the following is an evidence-based strategy to increase the number of oral health providers serving underserved populations?
A) loan forgiveness programs for dentists working in underserved areas
B) expanding enrollment in advanced dental education programs
C) increasing international recruitment of dental graduates
D) incentivizing providers to accept more Medicaid patients
46. A key principle in developing culturally competent oral health promotion programs is to:
A) ensure language access and health literacy levels are appropriate
B) avoid addressing underlying social determinants of dental disease
C) focus only on changing behaviors without community input
D) use a one-size-fits-all approach for all cultural groups
47. Which of the following best exemplifies health inequities according to the World Health Organization?
A) differences in oral health status that are avoidable and unjust
B) variations in oral diseases across populations unavoidable due to biology
C) genetic predispositions that play a predominant role in oral health outcomes
D) socioeconomic disparities that only affect quality rather than length of life
48. Research using the socio-ecological model has found that oral health outcomes are shaped by factors operating at which four levels?
A) individual, community, policy, provider
B) intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, systemic
C) biological, behavioral, social, physical environment
D) genetic, lifestyle, access, economic
49. Performance measurement is a core public health function because it is needed to:
A) assess whether programs achieve their intended outcomes
B) document the burden of oral diseases in a population
C) determine resource and workforce needs
D) all of the above
50. Social determinants shown to negatively influence oral health include all of the following EXCEPT:
A) poverty
B) educational attainment
C) dental insurance coverage
D) rural residence