Board Exams MCQs on Instruments Used in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

During extraction of a severely carious mandibular molar, the oral surgeon uses a straight elevator to luxate the tooth prior to forceps application. While demonstrating the correct technique to a dental intern, the surgeon explains the ideal point of support for effective and safe use of the instrument. A straight elevator is most advantageously used when the:

During a difficult tooth extraction, an oral surgeon uses a dental elevator to luxate the tooth from its socket before forceps application. While teaching undergraduate students, the surgeon explains the mechanical principle by which most elevators used in exodontia function. Most elevators used in exodontia work on which of the following principles?

During a surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon decides to remove bone using a chisel and mallet instead of a surgical bur. A postgraduate student asks about the main advantage of this technique compared to rotary instruments. What is the primary advantage of using a chisel and mallet over a bur for bone removal?

During routine extraction of a maxillary premolar, the oral surgeon carefully adapts the beaks of the extraction forceps to achieve maximum control and minimize the risk of crown fracture. A dental student is asked about the ideal positioning of the forceps tips during extraction. The tips of anatomic forceps should be placed:

During alveoloplasty following multiple tooth extractions, the oral surgeon uses an instrument to trim and smooth sharp bony edges of the alveolar process before wound closure. Which of the following is the common use of a rongeur?

During extraction of a maxillary premolar, the oral surgeon explains the proper technique for luxating a tooth using extraction forceps. Controlled movements are applied to expand the alveolar socket and facilitate removal while minimizing root fracture. The movements used to luxate a tooth with forceps should be:

During a routine surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon selects a scalpel blade for making a precise mucoperiosteal incision in the oral cavity. The blade chosen provides excellent control and is most commonly used in oral surgical procedures. Which of the following scalpel blades is most commonly used in oral surgery?

During removal of dense mandibular bone in an oral surgical procedure, the surgeon selects an osteotome to precisely cut and shape bone. A postgraduate trainee is asked about the structural design of the cutting edge of this instrument. An osteotome is:

During surgical removal of impacted bone around a mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon uses a chisel and mallet for bone cutting. While guiding a trainee, the surgeon emphasizes the correct orientation of the bevel to ensure controlled removal of bone and prevent injury to adjacent structures. During bone cutting, the bevel of the chisel should be directed:

During an apicoectomy procedure, the oral surgeon selects a resorbable suture material for flap closure. A postgraduate student is asked about the properties of chromic gut sutures compared with plain gut sutures. Which of the following statements regarding chromic gut sutures is NOT true?

During closure of a mucoperiosteal flap following surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon selects Vicryl (polyglactin 910) as the suture material because of its predictable resorption and good tissue compatibility. Polyglycolic acid suture material (Vicryl) is classified as:

Following surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon performs intraoral wound closure using a commonly preferred suture material known for its excellent handling properties and ease of knot tying. Which of the following suture materials is most commonly used for intraoral wound closure?

After closure of an intraoral surgical wound, a patient develops significant localized inflammatory response around the sutures. The surgeon explains to the students that certain suture materials are known to produce greater tissue reactivity because of their biological origin and enzymatic degradation. Which of the following suture materials elicits the greatest tissue reaction?

During preparation for an oral surgical procedure, a postgraduate student observes that the gut sutures are stored in a preservative solution to maintain their sterility and flexibility before use. The surgeon asks the student to identify the commonly used preservative for gut sutures. Which of the following is commonly used as a preservative for gut sutures?

Following surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar, the oral surgeon chooses a suture material that will gradually degrade within the tissues and therefore will not require removal during follow-up. Which of the following is an absorbable suture material?

Before performing an impacted third molar surgery, the oral surgeon performs rapid surgical hand disinfection using a chlorhexidine-based antiseptic preparation to reduce transient and resident skin flora. What is the commonly used concentration of chlorhexidine for surgical hand disinfection?

During multiple adjacent tooth extractions in a severely periodontally compromised patient, the oral surgeon uses a dental elevator to luxate teeth efficiently before forceps application. The surgeon explains that elevators can be used more advantageously in situations where support from adjacent teeth is not a concern. The elevator can be used to greatest advantage when:

During surgical removal of a deeply impacted mandibular third molar root, the oral surgeon selects an elevator specifically designed to generate powerful rotational force based on the wheel and axle mechanical principle. Which of the following elevators is the best example of an instrument working on the wheel and axle principle?

During surgical removal of a fractured root tip, the oral surgeon selects elevators that can simultaneously apply both lever action and wedge action to facilitate controlled luxation of the root fragment. Which of the following elevators employ both the lever and wedge principles during extraction of root tips?

During extraction of a grossly carious mandibular first molar with extensive crown destruction, the oral surgeon selects a No. 16 cowhorn forceps to engage the furcation area and facilitate removal of the tooth. No. 16 cowhorn forceps are specially designed for extraction of:

During routine extraction of a maxillary premolar, the oral surgeon adapts the forceps properly around the cervical portion of the tooth before beginning luxation movements. The surgeon emphasizes that the initial force applied is critical for expansion of the alveolar socket and proper engagement of the forceps. When using forceps for tooth extraction, the first direction of force application should be:

During extraction of a mandibular premolar, the oral surgeon carefully adapts the forceps to obtain maximum control and reduce the risk of root fracture. A dental intern is asked about the ideal forceps grip required for efficient tooth extraction. Which type of grip is most desirable when extracting a tooth with forceps?

A patient with severe facial soft tissue loss following trauma requires reconstructive surgery using a split-thickness skin graft. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon selects a specialized instrument to obtain a uniform thin layer of skin from the donor site. A dermatome is primarily used:

During surgical extraction of a grossly carious mandibular molar, the oral surgeon uses a bi-bevelled chisel to divide the tooth into sections for easier removal while minimizing trauma to the surrounding bone. What is the primary purpose of a bi-bevelled chisel?

During closure of a facial laceration following oral and maxillofacial trauma surgery, the surgeon selects Prolene (polypropylene) because of its excellent tensile strength and minimal tissue reaction. Prolene (polypropylene) suture is classified as:

During closure of an intraoral surgical wound, the oral surgeon selects chromic gut suture instead of plain gut because prolonged wound support is desired. A dental intern is asked about the advantage of chromic gut over plain gut sutures. Which of the following is an advantage of chromic gut compared to plain gut suture?

During closure of an intraoral surgical wound, the oral surgeon notices that the suture material tends to return to its original packaged shape, making knot tying slightly more difficult. The surgeon explains to the trainee that this characteristic is known as “memory.” Which of the following suture materials commonly exhibits the memory property?

During closure of a facial laceration requiring prolonged wound support, the oral surgeon selects a suture material that will maintain tensile strength for an extended period and will not undergo resorption within the tissues. Which of the following is a non-resorbable suture material?

Following closure of an intraoral surgical wound with gut sutures, a dental student asks about the mechanism by which this suture material is broken down and absorbed within the tissues. Gut suture material is primarily absorbed by:

During reconstruction following oral and maxillofacial surgery, the surgeon selects a long-lasting absorbable suture material that retains tensile strength for an extended period and undergoes slow absorption over several months. Which of the following suture materials has a maximum absorption life of approximately 210 days?