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National Board Dental Hygiene Examination — Information & Free Practice

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National Board Dental Hygiene Examination

Examination outline
  • Discipline-Based Component — Scientific Basis for Dental Hygiene Practice (61 items)
    • Anatomic Sciences
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Head and neck anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy — General anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Dental anatomy — Root anatomy
    • Anatomic Sciences — Anatomy — Histology and Embryology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Physiology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Biochemistry and Nutrition
    • Anatomic Sciences — Microbiology and Immunology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology — General
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pathology — Oral
    • Anatomic Sciences — Pharmacology
  • Discipline-Based Component — Provision of Clinical Dental Hygiene Services (115 items)
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Medical and dental history
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Head and neck examination
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Periodontal evaluation
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — Oral evaluation
    • Assessing Patient Characteristics — General
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Principles of radiophysics and radiobiology
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Principles of radiologic health
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Technique
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — Recognition of normalities and abnormalities
    • Obtaining and Interpreting Radiographs — General
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Infection control (application)
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Recognition of emergency situations and provision of appropriate care
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Planning of individualized instruction
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Dental caries
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Periodontal disease
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Provision of instruction for prevention and management of oral diseases — Oral conditions
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Anxiety and pain control
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Recognition and management of compromised patients
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Diagnosis
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Treatment plan
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — Dental hygiene treatment strategies — Case presentation
    • Planning and Managing Dental Hygiene Care — Individualized patient education — General
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Periodontal debridement
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Surgical support services
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — Chemotherapeutic agents
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Prescribed therapy — General
    • Performing Periodontal Procedures — Reassessment and maintenance (e.g., implant care)
    • Using Preventive Agents
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Mechanisms of action
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Toxicology
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration — Water fluoridation
    • Using Preventive Agents — Fluorides - systemic and topical — Methods of administration — Self-administered
    • Using Preventive Agents — Pit and fissure sealants
    • Using Preventive Agents — Other preventive agents
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Properties and manipulation of materials
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Polishing natural and restored teeth
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Making of impressions and preparation of study casts
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — Other supportive services (e.g., tooth desensitization)
    • Providing Supportive Treatment Services — General
    • Professional Responsibility
    • Professional Responsibility — Ethical principles, including informed consent
    • Professional Responsibility — Regulatory compliance
    • Professional Responsibility — Patient and professional communication
    • Professional Responsibility — General
  • Discipline-Based Component — Community Health/Research Principles (24 items)
    • Promoting Health and Preventing Disease Within Groups
    • Participating in Community Programs
    • Participating in Community Programs — Assessing populations and defining objectives
    • Participating in Community Programs — Designing, implementing, and evaluating programs
    • Analyzing Scientific Literature, Understanding Statistical Concepts, and Applying Research Results
  • Case-Based Component (150 items involving 12 to 15 dental hygiene patient cases)
    • Cases present information dealing with adult and child patients and may involve geriatric, adult-periodontal, pediatric, special needs, medically compromised, and other patient types; a medically compromised patient is one whose health status may require modification of standard treatment or special consideration.
    • Patient information is presented by means of patient histories, dental charts, radiographs, and clinical photographs.
    • Assessing patient characteristics
    • Obtaining and interpreting radiographs
    • Planning and managing dental hygiene care
    • Performing periodontal procedures
    • Using preventive agents
    • Providing supportive treatment service
    • Professional responsibility
Examination sources

Related license preparation

This examination may be required or accepted as an alternative, depending on the license and application pathway.