Dental Office Procedures for Dental Assisting Exam Practice Problems

The study guide for these practice problems can be found at:

Dental Office Procedures for Dental Assisting Exam Study Guide

1. What is the third barrier to good communication in addition to preoccupation and not listening?

a. prejudging

b. selective perception

c. body language

d. motivation

e. none of the above

2. On the first visit, each patient must complete what form along with the registration form?

a. a treatment plan

b. an insurance claim form

c. a health history form

d. a prescription

e. a dental lab slip

3. What is the dental specialty that deals with the movement of teeth and the correction of malocclusions?

a. pediatric dentistry

b. endodontics

c. prosthodontics

d. orthodontics

e. periodontics

4. What is the dental specialty that deals with the gingival, surrounding tissue, and bone?

a. pediatric dentistry

b. endodontics

c. prosthodontics

d. orthodontics

e. periodontics

5. What is the main concern of the dental public health?

a. treatment of diseases of the pulp

b. preventing and controlling dental diseases, and promoting dental health through organized community efforts

c. the nature of the diseases affecting the teeth

d. restoring severely decayed teeth in children

e. preventing tooth loss in senior citizens

6. What is the best way to ensure that a patient will arrive for his or her dental appointment?

a. confirm the patient’s appointment

b. educate the patient

c. charge the patient a fee for missed appointments

d. pick up the patient

e. coordinate a ride for the patient

7. What is the regularly scheduled time for emergencies called?

a. buffer period

b. productivity

c. units

d. dovetail

e. both a and d

8. What are the prime appointments in the scheduling day?

a. during lunch

b. any time of the day

c. first and last appointments of the day

d. immediately after lunch

e. at 11:00 A.M.

9. If an appointment book has six time slots per hour, how much time does each unit represent?

a. 5 minutes

b. 10 minutes

c. 15 minutes

d. 20 minutes

e. 30 minutes

10. Staff meetings, holidays, dentist and staff vacations, and starting and closing times are all components of what?

a. office recall system

b. calendar

c. matrix

d. units in the day

e. both a and c

11. What is the correct sequence for a patient’s appointments?

a. initial exam, diagnosis and treatment plan, consultation, scheduling appointments

b. consultation, initial exam, diagnosis and treatment plan, scheduling appointments

c. diagnosis and treatment plan, scheduling appointments, consultation, initial exam

d. scheduling appointments, diagnosis and treatment plan, consultation, initial exam

12. Take-home pay is the amount for which a check is written after all deductions (taxes) have been taken out. What is this called?

a. gross pay

b. net pay

c. withholding payroll

d. annual income

e. month-to-date pay

13. How is FICA commonly described?

a. federal income tax

b. state withholding tax

c. state disability

d. social security

e. local taxes

14. Which of the following records is considered a vital record?

a. bank reconciliation

b. recall card

c. cancelled checks

d. petty cash voucher

e. patient’s clinical chart

15. Which tooth numbering system uses a 1–32 numeric system for the permanent dentition and an A–Z letter system for the primary teeth?

a. Palmer Notation System

b. Bracket System

c. Universal System

d. ADA System

e. CDA System

16. How many teeth are present in the primary dentition?

a. 18

b. 20

c. 30

d. 32

e. 36

17. The crown cementation appointment is usually scheduled how long after the crown preparation appointment?

a. one week

b. two weeks

c. four weeks

d. two days

e. none of the above

18. What is the system in which all of the dental practice costs are organized, verified, categorized, and paid?

a. accounts receivable

b. accounts payable

c. accounts billing

d. pre-treatment estimate

e. both b and c

19. If a new patient calls and asks the price to restore his or her complete mouth, what should the business assistant do?

a. estimate the price on the phone

b. refer the patient elsewhere

c. put the dentist on the phone to discuss treatment and quote prices

d. ask the patient to come in for an exam and consultation

e. ask the patient to call back at another time

20. If a treatment plan shows an MOD restoration on tooth #3, which procedure needs to be performed?

a. two-surface restoration on a maxillary bicuspid

b. three-surface restoration on a maxillary molar

c. three-surface restoration on a mandibular molar

d. three-surface restoration on a mandibular bicuspid

e. three-surface restoration on a maxillary right second molar

21. If a treatment plan shows a PFM crown on tooth #30, which procedure needs to be performed?

a. a full gold crown on a maxillary molar

b. a porcelain-to-metal crown on a maxillary molar

c. a full gold crown on a mandibular molar

d. a porcelain-to-metal crown on a mandibular molar

e. both c and d

22. When completing a deposit slip, the total amount on the slip should agree with which column on the day sheet?

a. accounts receivable

b. charges

c. production

d. payments

e. both a and d

23. What are the total charges for dental treatment rendered on a given day called?

a. accounts payable

b. accounts receivable

c. production

d. patient balances

e. both b and c

24. If a treatment plan total is $2,000, and the patient makes an $800 down payment on the first visit and then three equal monthly payments on the remainder of the balance, what is the monthly payment?

a. $300

b. $400

c. $500

d. $600

e. $1,000

25. If a 15-year-old patient shows up for his or her appointment for sealants on all four permanent first molars, and a treatment plan and consent form have not been signed by one of the parents, what must be done?

a. The treatment should be performed; it is only sealants.

b. The patient must sign a consent form for the treatment.

c. You should contact the parents and try to obtain consent for treatment over the telephone.

d. You should reschedule the patient to return after written consent is received.

e. both c and d

26. How long after a three-unit bridge preparation appointment should the cementation appointment be made?

a. one month

b. after the patient has paid for it, or the patient portion

c. when the insurance claim has been filed

d. when the lab schedule allows for it to be returned to the dentist

e. after the insurance carrier has paid for it

27. What appointment time is best for oral surgery on a diabetic patient?

a. 8:30 A.M.

b. 11:00 A.M.

c. 2:00 P.M.

d. 3:30 P.M.

e. 4:30 P.M.

28. Which of the following documents is recommended for a new staff employee in the office?

a. office policy

b. daily schedule

c. recall report

d. personnel manual

e. accounts receivable report

29. In the Universal Tooth Numbering System, which is tooth #19?

a. mandibular left first molar

b. mandibular left second molar

c. mandibular right third molar

d. mandibular right first molar

e. mandibular left second bicuspid

30. Why are pit and fissure sealants recommended?

a. to restore dental caries on the occlusal surfaces

b. to correct discoloration from extrinsic stains

c. to prevent decay on the developmental faults on both primary and permanent teeth

d. to prevent decay on teeth with existing composite restorations

e. both c and d

31. What is the final step in collections?

a. a severe letter

b. a nasty telephone call

c. another nasty phone call

d. collection agency

e. both b and d

32. A yearly wage and tax statement is on which of the following forms?

a. W-4 form

b. 940 form

c. 941 form

d. W-2 form

e. 1040 form

33. On a dental insurance claim form, who signs the assignment of benefits line?

a. dentist

b. subscriber

c. assistant

d. carrier

e. dependent

34. When the patient is not available to sign a claim form, what is the acceptable procedure?

a. Submit the claim for predetermination.

b. Type in “signature not available.”

c. Type in “signature on file.”

d. Leave the signature boxes blank.

e. all of the above choices would be acceptable.

35. On an insurance claim, the percentage of payment will vary depending on:

a. the type of procedure.

b. the insurance contract.

c. where the patient seeks dental treatment.

d. both a and b

e. all of the above

36. What does the term insurance carrier refer to in insurance management?

a. insurance company

b. employer

c. dependent

d. dentist

e. insurance benefits

37. Where are insurance codes and procedures for dental treatment located?

a. office procedures manual

b. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publication

c. CDT, published by the American Dental Association (ADA)

d. OSHA regulations

e. ADA journal

38. The dentist submits the treatment plan to the carrier before treatment begins to get an estimate of how much of the treatment will be covered. What is this called?

a. predetermination of benefits

b. coordination of benefits

c. eligibility

d. financial arrangements

e. pre-existing conditions

39. How would you arrange the following names in alphabetical filing order?

a. John T. Hamilton Jr., Steven Hanley, John T. Hamilton Sr.

b. Steven Hanley, John T. Hamilton Jr., John T. Hamilton Sr.

c. John T. Hamilton Sr., John T. Hamilton Jr., Steven Hanley

d. John T. Hamilton Jr., John T. Hamilton Sr., Steven Hanley

e. Steven Hanley, John T. Hamilton Sr., John T. Hamilton Jr.

40. When the assignment of benefits is signed by the patient on an insurance claim form, who receives the money?

a. patient

b. carrier

c. employee

d. provider

e. dependent

41. What is the stipulated sum called that an insured person must pay toward the cost of dental treatment before the benefits go into effect?

a. maximum

b. coinsurance

c. deductible

d. exclusion

e. co-payment

42. Why would dental insurance still cover a 19-year-old?

a. patient is paying for his or her own insurance

b. patient is working and is a part-time student

c. patient is a full-time student

d. patient is living at home

e. none of the above

43. What does UCR stand for in dental insurance?

a. unusual, customary, reasonable

b. usual, carrier, reasonable

c. usual, customary, reasonable

d. usual, coverage, reasonable

e. usual, customary, receivable

44. What are adult prophylaxis and study models considered when categorizing procedures for insurance?

a. major services

b. basic services

c. routine services

d. preventative/diagnostic services

e. specialty services

45. When the child’s parents are divorced, and there are two dental plans, how are the primary and secondary carrier generally determined?

a. the parents’ birth dates

b. the father is always primary

c. the mother is always primary

d. the parent with whom the child resides

e. the parent who brings the child to the dental office

46. When the child’s parents are married and there are two dental plans, how are the primary and secondary carrier generally determined?

a. the parents’ birth dates

b. the child’s birth dates

c. the mother is always primary

d. the father is always primary

e. none of the above

47. Where should all continuing care/recall postcards be kept?

a. in the patient’s chart

b. in an alphabetical file under the patient’s last name

c. in an alphabetical file under the patient’s first name

d. in a chronological file according to the patient’s recall appointment

e. in a chronological file according to the patient’s date of birth

48. What is the petty cash fund used to purchase?

a. office equipment

b. dental supplies

c. small incidental purchases

d. staff lunches

e. none of the above

49. When should dental supply invoices be checked by the business assistant?

a. as the shipment is being unpacked

b. against the packing slip

c. weekly

d. monthly

e. both a and b

50. Which dental supply when purchased is supplied with a material safety and data sheet (MSDS)?

a. X-ray film

b. glutaraldehyde solution

c. ZOE cement

d. orange solvent

e. all of the above