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Restorative & Materials: INBDE study notes and practice questions

Restorative questions combine clinical decisions (when to restore, which material, how to prepare) with materials science (why a material behaves the way it does).

642 practice questions · 20 patient cases

Practice Restorative & Materials

Where it fits in the official INBDE blueprint

Oral Health Management (restorative procedures). Nearest foundation knowledge area: FK 3. See the content outline for the official weights. This mapping is approximate: real items combine a clinical area with a foundation area.

What this area tests

High-yield checklist

Common traps

These notes are original study aids, not official exam content. Confirm clinical details against current guidelines.

Sample questions

1. Which cement is most appropriate for lithium disilicate (e.max) restorations?

  1. Dual-cure resin cement
  2. Zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE)
  3. Glass ionomer cement
  4. Zinc phosphate cement
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Dual-cure resin cement

Lithium disilicate requires adhesive cementation with DUAL-CURE RESIN CEMENT after HF etching and silanization. Creates strong durable bond. Zinc phosphate and glass ionomer are conventional cements insufficient for all-ceramic restorations.

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2. Among restoration materials, which has the HIGHEST flexural strength?

  1. Zirconia
  2. Feldspathic porcelain
  3. Lithium disilicate (e.max)
  4. Metal (metal alloy)
  5. PMMA acrylic
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Correct answer: D. Metal (metal alloy)

✓ D) Metal alloy has the highest flexural strength.
Flexural strength hierarchy: Metal alloys (gold, base metal) ≈ 400–700 MPa → Zirconia (~900–1200 MPa for Y-TZP, actually highest among ceramic-based materials) → Lithium disilicate (~400 MPa) → feldspathic porcelain (~60–70 MPa) → PMMA (~60–70 MPa). Note: If the question specifically compares metal vs ceramics: metal > ceramics. Zirconia is the strongest ceramic. For subgingival finish lines with high flexural demands: metal-ceramic or zirconia are preferred.

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3. Which component is present in the HIGHEST percentage in dental amalgam?

  1. Copper
  2. Silver
  3. Mercury
  4. Tin
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Correct answer: C. Mercury

MERCURY ~50% by weight of dental amalgam (largest single component). The silver alloy powder (~50%) contains silver (~65-70% of alloy), tin, copper, zinc. While silver dominates the metallic alloy, mercury is the largest single component of final amalgam.

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4. Best cost-benefit material for managing ASYMPTOMATIC active caries lesions?

  1. Amalgam
  2. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF)
  3. Resin composite
  4. Glass ionomer cement
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Correct answer: B. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF)

SDF (38%): highly cost-effective for arresting active caries. No anesthesia, no drilling, single visit. Main drawback: permanent black staining. Ideal for primary teeth, root caries in elderly, uncooperative patients.

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5. Which term describes the phenomenon of a color appearing different under different lighting conditions?

  1. Fluorescence
  2. Metamerism
  3. Opalescence
  4. Translucency
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Correct answer: B. Metamerism

Metamerism is specifically the phenomenon where two colors that appear to match under one light source appear different under another light source — a key consideration in shade matching for restorations. Fluorescence, opalescence, and translucency are other optical properties of tooth structure/ceramics, but they don't describe this specific lighting-dependent color-matching mismatch.

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6. Which dental cement is MOST soluble?

  1. Glass Ionomer
  2. Zinc Polycarboxylate
  3. Resin Cement
  4. Zinc Phosphate
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Correct answer: B. Zinc Polycarboxylate

Zinc Polycarboxylate (B) is the most soluble of the common dental cements. It has a polyacrylic acid liquid that, while it bonds chemically to tooth structure, makes the set cement more susceptible to dissolution in oral fluids over time.

• Glass Ionomer has moderate solubility but is less soluble than zinc polycarboxylate after full set. It also releases fluoride.
• Resin Cement is the least soluble of modern cements — it is highly resistant to oral fluids due to its polymeric cross-linked structure.
• Zinc Phosphate is also relatively soluble compared to resin but less so than polycarboxylate. The key clinical takeaway: resin cements offer the best resistance to marginal dissolution.

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7. A 40-year-old with dark staining in grooves but no caries u2014 correct treatment is:

  1. Periodic observation
  2. Pit and fissure sealant
  3. Preventive resin restoration
  4. Application of topical fluoride
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Correct answer: A. Periodic observation

Dark staining alone in a 40-year-old WITHOUT caries indicates arrest or inactive disease u2014 appropriate management is observation. Board exam pearls: stained = observe; demineralized non-cavitated = sealant; cavitated = resin restoration. Age matters u2014 sealants are typically for higher-risk younger patients.

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8. A patient presents with a small amalgam restoration in the occlusal sulcus. Clinical examination reveals extensive secondary caries undermining the cusps, with insufficient remaining tooth structure for a simple restoration. What is the most appropriate treatment?

  1. Extraction
  2. Full-coverage crown
  3. Remove the restoration and place a larger composite
  4. Monitor and recall in 6 months
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Correct answer: B. Full-coverage crown

When a tooth has extensive caries that undermines the cusps and leaves insufficient sound tooth structure to support a direct restoration, a full-coverage crown (whether all-ceramic, PFM, or gold) is indicated to protect the weakened cusps from fracture and restore proper occlusal function. Simply replacing the filling with a larger composite restoration would leave structurally compromised cusps at high risk of fracture. Extraction is premature if the tooth is restorable with a crown. Monitoring is inappropriate when active caries is present. The 'crown threshold' is generally reached when caries or existing restorations cover more than half the intercuspal distance.

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Patient cases

All Restorative & Materials questions (642)