1|Page
2026 ABDSM FINAL ACTUAL EXAM
PREP |ALL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
|ALREADY A GRADED |NEW AND
REVISED
A patient presents for an evaluation to determine their candidacy for an
oral appliance to treat their mild OSA. During your examination, you
note the presence of TMD. This might include the following:
A. Pain in the TMJ
B. Pain in the muscles of mastication
C. Anomalies in mandibular movement
D. All of the above - ANSWER- D. All of the above
The qualified dentist designation (QDD) came about in response to the
2015 practice guidelines paper recommending that physicians refer
patients to dentists "qualified" to treat sleep related breathing disorders.
This was based upon recognition of which of the following?
A. Older dentists have more experience than younger dentists
B. All dentists have the skills they need to deliver knowledgeable care
C. Oral appliance efficacy data collected in studies is obtained by dentist
with extensive clinical experience
,2|Page
D. Training in dental schools on oral appliance therapy has become
common place - ANSWER- C. Oral appliance efficacy data collected in
studies is obtained by dentist with extensive clinical experience
The 2015 Practice Guidelines created through cooperative effort of the
AASM and AADSM suggest a physician should seek collaboration with
a qualified dentist, described as someone who has at least:
A. Board certification
B. Facility accreditation
C. Completion of a 1 yr residency in dental sleep medicine
D. Additional training or experience in dental sleep medicine -
ANSWER- D. Additional training or experience in dental sleep
medicine
An understanding of loop gain is important to the clinical practice of
dental sleep medicine because:
A. It excludes the possibility of cheyne stokes breathing in patients with
severe OSA
B. It is the basis of the Mallampati classification system
C. It defines the number of sequential obstructive apneas in an epoch
D. It contributes to the multifactorial nature of sleep related breathing
disorders - ANSWER- D. It contributes to the multifactorial nature of
sleep related breathing disorders
,3|Page
With regards to biomechanical properties of the upper airway, which
statement is true?
A. Sleep apnea patients paralyzed during general anesthesia (neural
drive removed) demonstrated airway compliance similar to healthy
subjects
B. Sleep apnea patients had more negative closing pressures
C. Sleep apnea patients demonstrate a more positive Pcrit
D. There is no correlation between collapsibility when awake and
collapsibility when asleep - ANSWER- C. Sleep apnea patients
demonstrate a more positive Pcrit
Tagged MRI recently showed 3 patterns of tissue formation during
mandibular advancement. Which of these was NOT observed?
A. The whole tongue moved forward "en bloc"
B. Only the superior posterior portion of the tongue moved forward
C. The posterior tongue did not move, but the whole tongue elongated
D. Only the inferior posterior portion of the tongue moved forward -
ANSWER- B. Only the superior posterior portion of the tongue moved
forward
In Van Heasendonck's 2015 systematic review of oral appliance health
benefits, mean disease alleviation was calculated using the following:
A. An embedded microsensor
, 4|Page
B. A highly compliant patient population
C. Patient's diaries of hours of nightly device use
D. Patient's attestations to hours of nightly device use - ANSWER- A.
An embedded microsensor
Caffeine promotes wakefulness by suppressing or blocking:
A. Thyroid stimulating hormone
B. Growth hormone
C. Orexin
D. Adenosine - ANSWER- D. Adenosine
A study design where one or more population samples are followed
prospectively to determine which participant's exposure characteristics
(risk factors) are associated with a disease or outcome is called a:
A. Randomized control trial
B. Non-randomized control trial
C. Cohort study
D. Case control study - ANSWER- C. Cohort study
In an experiment where participants are randomly assigned, one group
receives the drug or procedure, a placebo group's treatment is disguised
to resemble the drug or procedure being investigated and a control group
2026 ABDSM FINAL ACTUAL EXAM
PREP |ALL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
|ALREADY A GRADED |NEW AND
REVISED
A patient presents for an evaluation to determine their candidacy for an
oral appliance to treat their mild OSA. During your examination, you
note the presence of TMD. This might include the following:
A. Pain in the TMJ
B. Pain in the muscles of mastication
C. Anomalies in mandibular movement
D. All of the above - ANSWER- D. All of the above
The qualified dentist designation (QDD) came about in response to the
2015 practice guidelines paper recommending that physicians refer
patients to dentists "qualified" to treat sleep related breathing disorders.
This was based upon recognition of which of the following?
A. Older dentists have more experience than younger dentists
B. All dentists have the skills they need to deliver knowledgeable care
C. Oral appliance efficacy data collected in studies is obtained by dentist
with extensive clinical experience
,2|Page
D. Training in dental schools on oral appliance therapy has become
common place - ANSWER- C. Oral appliance efficacy data collected in
studies is obtained by dentist with extensive clinical experience
The 2015 Practice Guidelines created through cooperative effort of the
AASM and AADSM suggest a physician should seek collaboration with
a qualified dentist, described as someone who has at least:
A. Board certification
B. Facility accreditation
C. Completion of a 1 yr residency in dental sleep medicine
D. Additional training or experience in dental sleep medicine -
ANSWER- D. Additional training or experience in dental sleep
medicine
An understanding of loop gain is important to the clinical practice of
dental sleep medicine because:
A. It excludes the possibility of cheyne stokes breathing in patients with
severe OSA
B. It is the basis of the Mallampati classification system
C. It defines the number of sequential obstructive apneas in an epoch
D. It contributes to the multifactorial nature of sleep related breathing
disorders - ANSWER- D. It contributes to the multifactorial nature of
sleep related breathing disorders
,3|Page
With regards to biomechanical properties of the upper airway, which
statement is true?
A. Sleep apnea patients paralyzed during general anesthesia (neural
drive removed) demonstrated airway compliance similar to healthy
subjects
B. Sleep apnea patients had more negative closing pressures
C. Sleep apnea patients demonstrate a more positive Pcrit
D. There is no correlation between collapsibility when awake and
collapsibility when asleep - ANSWER- C. Sleep apnea patients
demonstrate a more positive Pcrit
Tagged MRI recently showed 3 patterns of tissue formation during
mandibular advancement. Which of these was NOT observed?
A. The whole tongue moved forward "en bloc"
B. Only the superior posterior portion of the tongue moved forward
C. The posterior tongue did not move, but the whole tongue elongated
D. Only the inferior posterior portion of the tongue moved forward -
ANSWER- B. Only the superior posterior portion of the tongue moved
forward
In Van Heasendonck's 2015 systematic review of oral appliance health
benefits, mean disease alleviation was calculated using the following:
A. An embedded microsensor
, 4|Page
B. A highly compliant patient population
C. Patient's diaries of hours of nightly device use
D. Patient's attestations to hours of nightly device use - ANSWER- A.
An embedded microsensor
Caffeine promotes wakefulness by suppressing or blocking:
A. Thyroid stimulating hormone
B. Growth hormone
C. Orexin
D. Adenosine - ANSWER- D. Adenosine
A study design where one or more population samples are followed
prospectively to determine which participant's exposure characteristics
(risk factors) are associated with a disease or outcome is called a:
A. Randomized control trial
B. Non-randomized control trial
C. Cohort study
D. Case control study - ANSWER- C. Cohort study
In an experiment where participants are randomly assigned, one group
receives the drug or procedure, a placebo group's treatment is disguised
to resemble the drug or procedure being investigated and a control group
