POSITIONING AND FINGER REST PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
RIGHT: You are working on the maxillary right posterior teeth, lingual aspect. You notice that your wrist is excessively bent.
LEFT: You are working on the maxillary left posterior teeth, lingual aspect. You are having difficulty seeing the tooth surfaces.
Which is most likely causing the problem?
A. The patient is turned toward you in a chin-up position.
B. You are seated at 9:00 if right-handed or 3:00 if left-handed.
C. Your arms are at waist level.
D. You are using the wrong dominant-hand finger rest.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
The lingual surfaces face away from the clinician. The correct positions are 10:00–11:00 for a right-handed clinician and 2:00–1:00 for a left-handed clinician.
QUESTION 2
It is easy to maintain neutral positioning when seated at 8:00 or 4:00.
The goal of clinician positioning is to minimize postural abnormalities whenever possible.
A. The first statement is true; the second is false.
B. Both statements are false.
C. The first statement is false; the second is true.
D. Both statements are true.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
It is not always easy to maintain neutral positioning at 8:00 or 4:00. However, minimizing postural abnormalities is a goal of clinician positioning.
QUESTION 3
All are correct positioning practices for the mandibular anterior teeth, facial surfaces toward, EXCEPT:
A. Retract the lip with the index finger of the nondominant hand.
B. Keep the hand in a palm-down position.
C. Place the instrument handle in front of the first knuckle.
D. Place the finger rest on an occlusofacial line angle.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
QUESTION 4
While working on the facial aspect of the mandibular anterior teeth, your wrist is excessively bent. What is the BEST adjustment to return your wrist to a neutral position?
A. Lean your head farther forward.
B. Ask the patient to use a chin-down position.
C. Raise the height of your chair.
D. Raise your elbows to waist level.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Raising the clinician’s chair changes the relationship between the clinician and the patient and helps return the wrist to neutral.
QUESTION 5
All statements about neutral position are true EXCEPT:
A. The human body was not designed to maintain the same position for a long time.
B. Poor wrist positioning can diminish grip strength.
C. A repetitive task involves the same movement for more than 25% of the work cycle.
D. Neutral position means that a joint is used near the middle of its full range of motion.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
QUESTION 6
All are true of a dominant-hand finger rest EXCEPT:
A. The finger rest should be on the same arch as the treatment area.
B. The finger rest should be near the tooth being instrumented.
C. You are likely to slip if you rest on the facial surface of a tooth.
D. The patient’s cheek provides a stable location for a finger rest.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
The patient’s cheek is movable and does not provide a stable intraoral finger rest.
QUESTION 7
Which does NOT describe the correct neutral seated position for the clinician?
A. Upper arms parallel to the long axis of the torso.
B. Forearms held parallel to the floor.
C. Elbows held at waist level.
D. Shoulders lifted toward the ears.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
The shoulders should remain relaxed and down.
QUESTION 8
RIGHT: You are working on the mandibular left posterior molars, facial aspect, and are having difficulty seeing the surfaces.
LEFT: You are working on the mandibular right posterior teeth, facial aspect, and are having difficulty seeing the surfaces.
Which is most likely causing the problem?
A. The dominant-hand finger rest is on an occlusofacial line angle.
B. The patient is turned toward you in a chin-down position.
C. You are using the mirror for retraction and indirect vision.
D. You are seated at 9:00 if right-handed or 3:00 if left-handed.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
These facial surfaces can be viewed directly. The mirror may be used for retraction, but indirect vision is unnecessary.
QUESTION 9
To maintain a neutral clinician position, do all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Ask the patient to adjust their head as you move around the mouth.
B. Keep the bracket table within arm’s reach.
C. Establish the correct patient-chair position.
D. Position the dental light directly over the mouth whenever working on the maxillary arch.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
For the maxillary arch, the light position may vary from directly over the mouth to over the patient’s neck.
QUESTION 10
Which improper clinician position can result from the patient’s chair being too high?
A. Shoulders raised and elbows held away from the body.
B. Back curved for better vision.
C. Neck tilted more than 15 degrees.
D. Sitting on the hip closest to the patient.
CORRECT ANSWER: A
QUESTION 11
All are true of neutral hand position EXCEPT:
A. The fingers apply light pressure to the instrument handle.
B. The little-finger side of the palm is rotated slightly downward.
C. The index finger and thumb are flattened against the handle.
D. The palm is held in an open and relaxed position.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
The index finger and thumb should remain curved instead of being flattened against the handle.
QUESTION 12
The clinician is seated behind the patient’s head. Which clock position is this?
A. 12:00 for both right-handed and left-handed clinicians.
B. 10:00–11:00 if right-handed and 2:00–1:00 if left-handed.
C. 8:00 if right-handed and 4:00 if left-handed.
D. 9:00 if right-handed and 3:00 if left-handed.
CORRECT ANSWER: A
QUESTION 13
Which statement is correct for periodontal instrumentation of anterior teeth?
A. Divide each tooth in half at the midline and begin instrumentation at the midline.
B. Instrument all distal surfaces first, followed by facial, lingual, and mesial surfaces.
C. Keep the patient in a chin-up position for both arches.
D. Sit at 12:00 for all tooth surfaces.
CORRECT ANSWER: A
QUESTION 14 — ADD THE SHADED-TOOTH PICTURE HERE
RIGHT: When working on the shaded tooth surfaces, the clinician should sit at 10:00–11:00. The patient should be in a chin-up position.
LEFT: When working on the same shaded tooth surfaces, the clinician should sit at 3:00. The patient should be in a chin-up position.
A. Both statements are true.
B. Both statements are false.
C. The first statement is true; the second is false.
D. The first statement is false; the second is true.
CORRECT ANSWER: A
The surfaces face away from a right-handed clinician but toward a left-handed clinician. Because the teeth are maxillary, the patient should be chin-up.
QUESTION 15
Put the steps for establishing a finger rest in the correct order:
1. Grasp the mirror and establish a finger rest.
2. Establish the patient’s chair and head position.
3. Establish a finger rest near the first tooth to be treated.
4. Assume the correct clock position for the treatment area.
5. Adjust the unit light and other equipment.
6. Grasp the instrument in the dominant hand.
A. 2, 5, 4, 1, 6, 3
B. 2, 5, 1, 6, 4, 3
C. 4, 2, 5, 1, 6, 3
D. 4, 5, 2, 1, 6, 3
CORRECT ANSWER: A
Correct sequence: 2, 5, 4, 1, 6, 3.
QUESTION 16
Which does NOT describe the correct neutral seated clinician position?
A. The body’s weight is distributed evenly on both hips.
B. The feet are flat on the floor and approximately shoulder-width apart.
C. The back is held in a rounded position.
D. All three normal back curves are present while sitting.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
QUESTION 17
RIGHT: You are having difficulty seeing the facial surfaces of the mandibular left posterior teeth.
LEFT: You are having difficulty seeing the facial surfaces of the mandibular right posterior teeth.
All would help you obtain a better view EXCEPT:
A. Ask the patient to turn toward you.
B. Ask the patient to use a chin-down position.
C. Use the mirror for retraction and indirect vision.
D. Bend and lean across the patient.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
The clinician should adjust the patient and equipment instead of bending across the patient.
QUESTION 18
The clinician faces the side of the patient’s head with the midline of the clinician’s torso even with the patient’s mouth. Which clock position is this?
A. 9:00 if right-handed and 3:00 if left-handed.
B. 10:00–11:00 if right-handed and 2:00–1:00 if left-handed.
C. 8:00 if right-handed and 4:00 if left-handed.
D. 12:00 for both right-handed and left-handed clinicians.
CORRECT ANSWER: A
QUESTION 19
All are acceptable positioning practices EXCEPT:
A. Keeping both feet flat on the floor.
B. Sitting with your weight on one hip.
C. Holding the elbows slightly away from the body.
D. Tilting the head forward no more than 15 degrees.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
The clinician’s weight should be distributed evenly on both hips.
QUESTION 20
All are true of a dominant-hand finger rest EXCEPT:
A. You are likely to slip if you rest on the facial surface of a tooth.
B. The finger rest should be near the tooth being instrumented.
C. The finger rest should be on the same arch as the treatment area.
D. The patient’s cheek provides a stable finger-rest location.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
QUESTION 21
All are characteristics of an intraoral fulcrum EXCEPT:
A. It decreases the likelihood of injury to the patient or clinician.
B. It helps provide precise pressure against the tooth surface.
C. It helps provide precise stroke length.
D. It allows the hand and instrument to move independently of each other.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
The hand and instrument should move together as one unit.
QUESTION 22
While working on the facial aspect of the mandibular anterior teeth, your wrist is excessively bent. Which is the BEST adjustment?
A. Lean your head farther forward.
B. Raise the height of your chair.
C. Ask the patient to use a chin-down position.
D. Raise your elbows to waist level.
CORRECT ANSWER: B
QUESTION 23
It is easy to maintain neutral positioning when seated at 8:00 or 4:00.
The goal of clinician positioning is to minimize postural abnormalities whenever possible.
A. Both statements are true.
B. Both statements are false.
C. The first statement is false; the second is true.
D. The first statement is true; the second is false.
CORRECT ANSWER: C
QUESTION 24
All are true of the dominant ring finger in an intraoral finger rest EXCEPT:
A. It is held straight, with its tip supporting the weight of the hand.
B. It rests on an incisal or occlusal surface or on an occlusofacial or occlusolingual line angle.
C. It remains on the same arch as the tooth being treated.
D. It remains in one exact spot while working on every tooth in a sextant.
CORRECT ANSWER: D
The ring finger should be repositioned so it remains near the tooth being instrumented.