Free Dental Caries MCQs with Answers

60 Dental Caries MCQs from Oral Pathology and Medicine, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

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  • A. Infectious and transmissible
  • B. Not due to microorganisms
  • C. Can develop in the absence of sucrose
  • D. Microorganisms play the most essential role

Explanation: Dental caries is a biofilm-mediated infectious disease in which microorganisms metabolize fermentable carbohydrates to produce acids.

Correct answer: Not due to microorganisms
  • A. Virulant
  • B. Saprophytic
  • C. Sacchrolytic
  • D. Avirulant

Explanation: Saccharolytic organisms split or ferment carbohydrates, producing acids that contribute to enamel demineralization and caries.

Correct answer: Sacchrolytic
  • A. Hyaluronic acid
  • B. Dextran
  • C. Amlyopecting
  • D. Levan

Explanation: Levan is a soluble fructan formed from the fructose portion of sucrose by plaque bacteria.

Correct answer: Levan
  • A. Lateral surface of the pit and fissure
  • B. Wide and of the pit and fissure
  • C. Apex of the pit and fissure
  • D. Bottom of the pit and fissure

Explanation: Pit-and-fissure caries begins along the lateral walls of the fissure and advances toward the underlying enamel and dentine.

Correct answer: Lateral surface of the pit and fissure
  • A. Selenium
  • B. Molybdenum
  • C. Cadmium
  • D. Magnesium

Explanation: Molybdenum is considered cariostatic because it can reduce enamel solubility and inhibit caries development.

Correct answer: Molybdenum
  • A. Cemental caries
  • B. Early enamel caries
  • C. Advanced dentinal caries
  • D. Advanced enamel caries

Explanation: Liquefaction foci of Miller are characteristic microscopic areas of degeneration in advanced dentinal caries, where bacterial enzymes…

Correct answer: Advanced dentinal caries
  • A. Levans
  • B. Lectins
  • C. Polyfructans
  • D. Glucans

Explanation: Streptococcus mutans converts sucrose into extracellular glucans, especially the adhesive polymer that helps bacteria attach and form…

Correct answer: Glucans
  • A. Plaque
  • B. Materia alba
  • C. Calculus
  • D. All of the above

Explanation: Dental plaque is a gelatinous, structured bacterial deposit that adheres firmly to tooth surfaces.

Correct answer: Plaque
  • A. Translucent zone
  • B. Body of lession
  • C. Dark zone
  • D. Surface zone

Explanation: The body of the lesion is the largest and most heavily demineralised zone of an enamel caries lesion.

Correct answer: Body of lession
  • A. Mac conkey medium
  • B. Nutrient agar
  • C. Mitus salivarius bacitracin agar
  • D. Tellurite medium

Explanation: Mitis salivarius bacitracin agar is the classic selective medium for isolating and counting Streptococcus mutans from plaque or saliva.

Correct answer: Mitus salivarius bacitracin agar
  • A. Incremental lines of retzius
  • B. Perikymata
  • C. Imbrication lines of pickerill
  • D. Wickham's striae

Explanation: Enamel caries can make the incremental lines of Retzius more prominent because these growth lines represent areas of differing…

Correct answer: Incremental lines of retzius
  • A. Malignancy
  • B. Xerostomia
  • C. Hairy tongue
  • D. Watery saliva

Explanation: Xerostomia increases caries risk because reduced saliva removes less plaque acid, provides less buffering and reduces remineralisation.

Correct answer: Xerostomia
  • A. enamel hypoplasia due to hypocalcemia
  • B. enamel hypoplasia due to birth injuries
  • C. enamel hypoplasia due to local infection or local trauma
  • D. enamel hypoplasia due to congenital syphilis

Explanation: Turner tooth is a hypoplastic or hypomineralized permanent tooth caused by infection or trauma affecting its primary predecessor during…

Correct answer: enamel hypoplasia due to local infection or local trauma
  • A. Vitamin A deficiency
  • B. Teratogens
  • C. Vitamin D deficiency
  • D. Excess of fluoride

Explanation: Mottled enamel is dental fluorosis, caused by excessive fluoride intake during enamel formation.

Correct answer: Excess of fluoride
  • A. Mand. Second premolar
  • B. Max. lateral incisor
  • C. Mand. Central incisor
  • D. Mand. first premolar

Explanation: Microdontia most commonly affects the maxillary lateral incisor, often appearing as a small, peg-shaped tooth.

Correct answer: Max. lateral incisor
  • A. Dilaceration
  • B. Concrescence
  • C. Fusion
  • D. Gemination

Explanation: Fusion is the union of two tooth germs and commonly produces a reduced tooth count, with separate or partially joined canals.

Correct answer: Fusion
  • A. None of the above
  • B. Permanent dentition
  • C. Mixed dentition
  • D. Primary dentition

Explanation: Fusion is more frequent in the primary dentition, particularly in the anterior teeth.

Correct answer: Primary dentition
  • A. More common in mandible
  • B. Disto molars doesn't resemble any other tooth
  • C. Mesiodens is the most common supernumerary tooth
  • D. May have resemblance to normal teeth

Explanation: Supernumerary teeth occur more often in the maxilla, especially as mesiodens, so the statement that they are more common in the mandible…

Correct answer: More common in mandible
  • A. May involve both the deciduous and the permanent dentition
  • B. In false anodontia tooth doesn't undergo full development
  • C. May involve a single tooth
  • D. In total anodontia all teeth are missing

Explanation: In false anodontia, teeth are formed but fail to erupt, such as because of impaction, so they have not simply failed to develop.

Correct answer: In false anodontia tooth doesn't undergo full development
  • A. Defective enamel and dentine
  • B. Increased rate of caries
  • C. Defective dentine and obliterated pulp chamber
  • D. Oligodontia

Explanation: Dentinogenesis imperfecta primarily produces defective, opalescent dentine with early pulp obliteration, giving very small or absent pulp…

Correct answer: Defective dentine and obliterated pulp chamber

Dental Caries MCQs: common questions

Are these Dental Caries MCQs free?

Yes. All Dental Caries MCQs from Oral Pathology and Medicine are free on TestUstad, with unlimited attempts and no account needed. Nothing on this page is a sample or a trial.

How many Dental Caries MCQs are on this page?

There are 60 Dental Caries MCQs in the Oral Pathology and Medicine bank, shown 20 to a page with the correct answer and an explanation on each.

Does every Dental Caries MCQ have an explanation?

Yes. Each Dental Caries question shows the correct option and a written explanation of why it is correct, so a wrong answer teaches you something rather than just being marked wrong.

Can I take a timed Dental Caries test?

Yes. The practice button on this page starts a free Dental Caries test drawn from the Oral Pathology and Medicine bank. It marks each answer instantly, gives you a score at the end, and can be retaken as many times as you like.