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WILKINS' CLINICAL PRACTICE OF THE DENTAL HYGIENIST (14TH
EDITION) EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST EDITION
2026
Wilkins' Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (14th Edition) — MCQ Exam
Original Practice Questions — Wilkins' 14th Edition (300 MCQs)
Section I: Orientation to Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice (Questions 1–20)
1. Which professional organization represents dental hygienists in the United States?
A) CDHA
B) ADHA
C) IFDH
D) NDHA
Answer: B — ADHA
Rationale: The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) represents dental hygienists in
the United States. The CDHA represents Canadian dental hygienists .
2. License by credential (also known as reciprocity) refers to which of the following?
A) The initial licensure examination process
B) Acceptance for licensure based on a license obtained in another state with equivalent
standards
C) The national board examination
D) The clinical licensing examination
Answer: B — Acceptance for licensure based on a license obtained in another state with
equivalent standards
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,Page 2 of 82
Rationale: License by credential is acceptance for licensure by a regulatory body based on
evidence from a license obtained in another state with equivalent standards and requirements .
3. What is oral hygiene in the context of dental hygiene practice?
A) The use of mouthwash
B) Procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity; personal maintenance of cleanliness
C) The professional care provided by a dental hygienist
D) The use of fluoride products
Answer: B — Procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity; personal maintenance
of cleanliness
Rationale: Oral hygiene refers to procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity,
including both self-care practices and professional recommendations .
4. Dental hygiene care is best described as which of the following?
A) All integrated preventive, educational, and treatment services administered by a dental
hygienist
B) Services provided by the dentist
C) Only clinical procedures performed in a dental office
D) Only preventive education provided to patients
Answer: A — All integrated preventive, educational, and treatment services administered by a
dental hygienist
Rationale: Dental hygiene care includes all integrated preventive, educational, and treatment
services administered for a patient by a dental hygienist .
5. The process of enabling people to improve their health through self-care, mutual aid, and
the creation of a healthy environment is known as which of the following?
A) Health promotion
B) Disease prevention
C) Clinical intervention
D) Public health
Answer: A — Health promotion
Rationale: Health promotion is the process of enabling people to improve their health through
self-care, mutual aid, and the creation of a healthy environment .
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6. Dental therapist scope of practice includes which of the following procedures?
A) Caries removal, placement, and finishing of composite/resin and amalgam restorations
B) Placement of space maintainers
C) Fabrication and placement of stainless steel crowns and temporary crowns
D) All of the above
Answer: D — All of the above
Rationale: Dental therapist scope of practice includes caries removal, restorations, space
maintainers, stainless steel crowns, pulpotomy, and simple extractions of primary teeth .
7. Which of the following represents the four competency domains for interprofessional
collaborative practice?
A) Values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, teams/teamwork
B) Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation
C) Prevention, treatment, evaluation, documentation
D) Clinical, administrative, educational, research
Answer: A — Values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, teams/teamwork
Rationale: The four competency domains for interprofessional collaborative practice are
values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams/teamwork .
8. The National Dental Hygiene Association is abbreviated as which of the following?
A) ADHA
B) CDHA
C) NDHA
D) IFDH
Answer: C — NDHA
Rationale: The NDHA is the National Dental Hygiene Association, another professional
organization serving dental hygienists .
9. Which of the following is a key feature of the 14th Edition's update?
A) Removal of all content on infection control
B) Updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF)
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C) Elimination of the chapter on patients with special needs
D) Removal of the outline format
Answer: B — Updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF)
Rationale: The 14th Edition includes updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF), reflecting
the growing use of this caries-preventive agent .
10. The hallmark format of Wilkins' Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist is which of the
following?
A) Narrative format
B) Outline format
C) Question and answer format
D) Case-based format
Answer: B — Outline format
Rationale: The textbook maintains its hallmark outline format, which offers breadth and depth
of coverage necessary for foundation courses and throughout the curriculum .
11. Evidence-based dental hygiene practice integrates which of the following?
A) Clinical expertise, patient values, and best research evidence
B) Tradition, opinion, and convenience
C) Cost, speed, and efficiency
D) Technology, marketing, and profit
Answer: A — Clinical expertise, patient values, and best research evidence
Rationale: Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical
expertise and patient values and preferences.
12. Which of the following best describes the dental hygiene process of care?
A) Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation
B) Assessment, treatment, billing, discharge
C) Diagnosis, prescription, surgery, follow-up
D) Screening, referral, treatment, discharge
Answer: A — Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation
Rationale: The dental hygiene process of care follows the ADPIE framework: Assessment, Dental
Hygiene Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation .
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WILKINS' CLINICAL PRACTICE OF THE DENTAL HYGIENIST (14TH
EDITION) EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST EDITION
2026
Wilkins' Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (14th Edition) — MCQ Exam
Original Practice Questions — Wilkins' 14th Edition (300 MCQs)
Section I: Orientation to Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice (Questions 1–20)
1. Which professional organization represents dental hygienists in the United States?
A) CDHA
B) ADHA
C) IFDH
D) NDHA
Answer: B — ADHA
Rationale: The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) represents dental hygienists in
the United States. The CDHA represents Canadian dental hygienists .
2. License by credential (also known as reciprocity) refers to which of the following?
A) The initial licensure examination process
B) Acceptance for licensure based on a license obtained in another state with equivalent
standards
C) The national board examination
D) The clinical licensing examination
Answer: B — Acceptance for licensure based on a license obtained in another state with
equivalent standards
1|Page
,Page 2 of 82
Rationale: License by credential is acceptance for licensure by a regulatory body based on
evidence from a license obtained in another state with equivalent standards and requirements .
3. What is oral hygiene in the context of dental hygiene practice?
A) The use of mouthwash
B) Procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity; personal maintenance of cleanliness
C) The professional care provided by a dental hygienist
D) The use of fluoride products
Answer: B — Procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity; personal maintenance
of cleanliness
Rationale: Oral hygiene refers to procedures for preservation of health of the oral cavity,
including both self-care practices and professional recommendations .
4. Dental hygiene care is best described as which of the following?
A) All integrated preventive, educational, and treatment services administered by a dental
hygienist
B) Services provided by the dentist
C) Only clinical procedures performed in a dental office
D) Only preventive education provided to patients
Answer: A — All integrated preventive, educational, and treatment services administered by a
dental hygienist
Rationale: Dental hygiene care includes all integrated preventive, educational, and treatment
services administered for a patient by a dental hygienist .
5. The process of enabling people to improve their health through self-care, mutual aid, and
the creation of a healthy environment is known as which of the following?
A) Health promotion
B) Disease prevention
C) Clinical intervention
D) Public health
Answer: A — Health promotion
Rationale: Health promotion is the process of enabling people to improve their health through
self-care, mutual aid, and the creation of a healthy environment .
2|Page
,Page 3 of 82
6. Dental therapist scope of practice includes which of the following procedures?
A) Caries removal, placement, and finishing of composite/resin and amalgam restorations
B) Placement of space maintainers
C) Fabrication and placement of stainless steel crowns and temporary crowns
D) All of the above
Answer: D — All of the above
Rationale: Dental therapist scope of practice includes caries removal, restorations, space
maintainers, stainless steel crowns, pulpotomy, and simple extractions of primary teeth .
7. Which of the following represents the four competency domains for interprofessional
collaborative practice?
A) Values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, teams/teamwork
B) Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation
C) Prevention, treatment, evaluation, documentation
D) Clinical, administrative, educational, research
Answer: A — Values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, teams/teamwork
Rationale: The four competency domains for interprofessional collaborative practice are
values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams/teamwork .
8. The National Dental Hygiene Association is abbreviated as which of the following?
A) ADHA
B) CDHA
C) NDHA
D) IFDH
Answer: C — NDHA
Rationale: The NDHA is the National Dental Hygiene Association, another professional
organization serving dental hygienists .
9. Which of the following is a key feature of the 14th Edition's update?
A) Removal of all content on infection control
B) Updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF)
3|Page
, Page 4 of 82
C) Elimination of the chapter on patients with special needs
D) Removal of the outline format
Answer: B — Updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF)
Rationale: The 14th Edition includes updates related to silver diamine fluoride (SDF), reflecting
the growing use of this caries-preventive agent .
10. The hallmark format of Wilkins' Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist is which of the
following?
A) Narrative format
B) Outline format
C) Question and answer format
D) Case-based format
Answer: B — Outline format
Rationale: The textbook maintains its hallmark outline format, which offers breadth and depth
of coverage necessary for foundation courses and throughout the curriculum .
11. Evidence-based dental hygiene practice integrates which of the following?
A) Clinical expertise, patient values, and best research evidence
B) Tradition, opinion, and convenience
C) Cost, speed, and efficiency
D) Technology, marketing, and profit
Answer: A — Clinical expertise, patient values, and best research evidence
Rationale: Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical
expertise and patient values and preferences.
12. Which of the following best describes the dental hygiene process of care?
A) Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation
B) Assessment, treatment, billing, discharge
C) Diagnosis, prescription, surgery, follow-up
D) Screening, referral, treatment, discharge
Answer: A — Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation
Rationale: The dental hygiene process of care follows the ADPIE framework: Assessment, Dental
Hygiene Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation .
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