Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) Oral Biology, Anatomy and Dental Materials Science Syllabus

Oral Biology, Anatomy and Dental Materials Science syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Oral Biology, Anatomy and Dental Materials Science in Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Head and Neck Anatomy

   4 topics

   • Osteology of the Skull, Maxilla and Mandible
   • Muscles and Spaces
     • Muscles of mastication and facial expression
     • Fascial spaces and infection pathways
   • Nerve Supply
     • Trigeminal nerve and divisions
     • Facial nerve and cranial nerves of clinical relevance
   • Vascular Supply and Lymphatic Drainage
2. 2

   Oral Histology and Tooth Morphology

   4 topics

   • Enamel, Dentine, Pulp and Cementum Structure
   • The Periodontium and Oral Mucosa
   • Dental Morphology and Tooth Identification
   • Tooth Development and Eruption
3. 3

   Oral Physiology and Biochemistry

   3 topics

   • Saliva: Composition and Function
   • Mastication, Deglutition and Taste
   • Calcium, Phosphate and Mineralisation
4. 4

   Microbiology and Immunology of the Oral Cavity

   3 topics

   • Oral Microbiome and Dental Plaque Biofilm
   • Microbiology of Caries and Periodontal Disease
   • Host Defences and Inflammatory Response
5. 5

   Dental Materials Science

   4 topics

   • Properties of Dental Materials
     • Mechanical, thermal and optical properties
     • Biocompatibility and corrosion
   • Impression Materials and Gypsum Products
   • Restorative and Luting Materials
   • Metals, Ceramics and Polymers in Dentistry

Oral Biology, Anatomy and Dental Materials Science flashcards for Overseas Registration Exam (ORE)

20 of 51 cards from the Oral Biology, Anatomy and Dental Materials Science deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Name the bones that form the skull and state how many bones make up the human skull in total.

   The skull comprises 22 bones: 8 cranial bones (frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, occipital, sphenoid, ethmoid) and 14 facial bones. The mandible is the only freely mobile skull bone.

2. At which suture do the two halves of the maxilla and the two halves of the frontal bone meet anteriorly?

   The two maxillae meet at the intermaxillary suture; the frontal bone meets the two parietal bones at the coronal suture, and the parietals meet each other at the sagittal suture.

3. List the four bony processes of the maxilla.

   Frontal process, zygomatic process, alveolar process, and palatine process. The maxilla also contains the maxillary sinus (antrum) and forms the floor of the orbit, the lateral wall of the nasal cavity, and most of the hard palate.

4. Through which mandibular foramen does the inferior alveolar nerve enter, and where does it exit?

   It enters through the mandibular foramen (guarded by the lingula) on the medial surface of the ramus and exits through the mental foramen as the mental nerve, typically below the second premolar.

5. Name the four muscles of mastication and their common nerve supply.

   Masseter, temporalis, medial pterygoid, and lateral pterygoid. All are innervated by the mandibular division ($V_3$) of the trigeminal nerve and all develop from the first pharyngeal arch.

6. Which muscle is the primary protruder and depressor of the mandible, and what is its unique action?

   The lateral pterygoid. Acting bilaterally it protrudes and depresses the mandible (opens the mouth); acting unilaterally it produces side-to-side grinding. It is the only masticatory muscle that opens the jaw.

7. Define the pterygomandibular space and state its clinical significance.

   It is the fascial space bounded laterally by the ramus of the mandible and medially by the medial pterygoid muscle, containing the inferior alveolar nerve and vessels. It is the target site for an inferior alveolar nerve block.

8. State the sensory and motor distribution of the trigeminal nerve (CN V) divisions.

   $V_1$ ophthalmic (sensory only), $V_2$ maxillary (sensory only), and $V_3$ mandibular (sensory plus motor to muscles of mastication). $V_2$ supplies maxillary teeth; $V_3$ supplies mandibular teeth via the inferior alveolar nerve.

9. Which nerve provides general sensation versus taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

   General sensation is via the lingual nerve (a branch of $V_3$); taste is via the chorda tympani (a branch of the facial nerve, CN VII), which joins the lingual nerve.

10. What is the main arterial supply to the teeth and jaws?

    The maxillary artery, a terminal branch of the external carotid. Maxillary teeth are supplied by the superior alveolar arteries (posterior, middle, anterior); mandibular teeth by the inferior alveolar artery.

11. Describe the lymphatic drainage of the tongue and its clinical importance.

    The tip drains to submental nodes; the anterior two-thirds drains to submandibular nodes; the posterior third drains bilaterally to deep cervical (jugulo-omohyoid) nodes. Bilateral drainage of the posterior third allows contralateral metastasis of tongue cancer.

12. State the composition of enamel and why it cannot regenerate.

    Enamel is approximately $96\%$ inorganic (hydroxyapatite), $1\%$ organic, and $3\%$ water by weight. It is acellular and produced by ameloblasts that are lost after eruption, so it cannot regenerate or remodel.

13. Compare the inorganic content of enamel, dentine, and cementum by weight.

    Enamel approximately $96\%$ mineral; dentine approximately $70\%$ mineral, $20\%$ organic, $10\%$ water; cementum approximately $45\text{–}50\%$ mineral. Dentine and cementum are softer and contain more collagen than enamel.

14. What is the basic structural unit of enamel and its characteristic appearance?

    The enamel rod (prism), a keyhole-shaped bundle of hydroxyapatite crystals running from the dentino-enamel junction to the surface. Striae of Retzius (incremental lines) and perikymata reflect rhythmic deposition.

15. Name the cell that forms dentine and describe the dentinal tubule.

    The odontoblast forms dentine; its cell body lines the pulp while its process (Tomes' fibre) extends into the dentinal tubule. Tubules run from the pulp to the dentino-enamel junction, making dentine sensitive and vital throughout life.

16. List the four functional zones of the dental pulp from the periphery inward.

    1) Odontoblastic layer; 2) Cell-free zone of Weil; 3) Cell-rich zone; 4) Pulp core (central zone) containing vessels and nerves. The pulp provides nutrition, sensation, defence, and dentine formation.

17. Distinguish acellular from cellular cementum.

    Acellular (primary) cementum covers the cervical two-thirds of the root, forms first, contains no cementocytes, and anchors Sharpey's fibres. Cellular (secondary) cementum covers the apical third and furcations, contains cementocytes, and is laid down throughout life to allow continued attachment.

18. Name the four components of the periodontium.

    Gingiva, periodontal ligament (PDL), cementum, and alveolar bone. The PDL connects cementum to alveolar bone via Sharpey's fibres and contains the proprioceptive receptors for occlusal load.

19. Name the principal fibre groups of the periodontal ligament.

    Alveolar crest, horizontal, oblique (the most numerous, resisting axial/masticatory forces), apical, and interradicular fibres. The oblique fibres convert chewing pressure into tension on the alveolar bone.

20. Contrast keratinised and non-keratinised oral mucosa with examples.

    Masticatory mucosa (gingiva, hard palate) is keratinised/parakeratinised and firmly bound to bone. Lining mucosa (cheek, floor of mouth, soft palate, lips) is non-keratinised and mobile. Specialised mucosa (dorsum of tongue) bears taste papillae.

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