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BDS Public Health Dentistry Flashcards
51 question-and-answer cards covering Public Health Dentistry as it is examined in BDS. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Public Health Dentistry deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
Write the formula for the arithmetic mean of a sample.
$$\bar{x} = \frac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i$$
Write the formula for the sample standard deviation.
$$s = \sqrt{\frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_i - \bar{x})^{2}}{n-1}}$$
Define the coefficient of variation (CV) and give its formula.
A relative measure of dispersion allowing comparison across datasets: $$CV = \frac{s}{\bar{x}} \times 100\%$$
State the key properties of a normal (Gaussian) distribution's empirical rule.
Symmetric bell shape; about $68\%$ of data lie within $\bar{x} \pm 1s$, $95\%$ within $\bar{x} \pm 2s$, and $99.7\%$ within $\bar{x} \pm 3s$.
Differentiate descriptive from inferential statistics.
Descriptive statistics summarize/describe a dataset (mean, SD, tables, graphs); inferential statistics draw conclusions about a population from a sample (estimation, hypothesis testing).
Define null hypothesis ($H_0$) and alternative hypothesis ($H_1$).
$H_0$ states there is no difference/association; $H_1$ states there is a real difference/association.
Define Type I and Type II errors.
Type I error ($\alpha$) = rejecting a true $H_0$ (false positive); Type II error ($\beta$) = failing to reject a false $H_0$ (false negative).
What is statistical "power" and how is it related to $\beta$?
Power is the probability of correctly rejecting a false null hypothesis: $\text{Power} = 1 - \beta$.
What does a p-value represent, and what is the conventional significance threshold?
The probability of obtaining results as extreme as observed if $H_0$ were true; conventionally significant if $p < 0.05$.
Which statistical test compares means of two independent groups, and which compares three or more?
Student's t-test for two groups; ANOVA (analysis of variance) for three or more groups.
Which test is used to compare proportions/categorical data in a contingency table?
The Chi-square ($\chi^{2}$) test.
Name two commonly used statistical software packages in dental public health research.
SPSS and SAS (also R, Stata, and Epi Info).
State Leavell and Clark's three levels of prevention.
Primary prevention (health promotion + specific protection), Secondary prevention (early diagnosis and treatment), and Tertiary prevention (disability limitation and rehabilitation).
Give an oral-health example for each of the three levels of prevention.
Primary: fluoride/sealants/oral hygiene education; Secondary: restorations, scaling for early gingivitis; Tertiary: dentures, prosthetic rehabilitation.
List the main systemic and topical routes of fluoride delivery.
Systemic: water fluoridation, fluoride tablets/drops, salt/milk fluoridation. Topical: toothpaste, mouthrinses, gels, foams, varnishes.
What is the optimal fluoride concentration in community drinking water (traditional value)?
Approximately $1.0\ \text{ppm}$ (0.7–1.2 ppm depending on climate; U.S. now recommends $0.7\ \text{ppm}$).
By what chemical mechanism does fluoride make enamel more caries-resistant?
It converts hydroxyapatite to fluorapatite, which is less acid-soluble: $$\ce{Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 + 2F^- -> Ca10(PO4)6F2 + 2OH^-}$$
What fluoride concentration is used in professionally applied sodium fluoride varnish?
$5\%$ NaF ($22{,}600\ \text{ppm}$ fluoride).
What are dental (pit-and-fissure) sealants and their primary purpose?
Resin or glass-ionomer materials applied to occlusal pits and fissures to form a physical barrier, preventing bacterial colonization and occlusal caries.
Which teeth and surfaces benefit most from sealant placement, and why?
Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars, because deep pits and fissures are least protected by fluoride and most caries-prone.
Name two evidence-based methods of oral hygiene instruction/toothbrushing taught in oral hygiene education.
The Modified Bass technique (sulcular) and the Fones (circular) technique; supplemented by flossing and the modified Stillman method.
Contrast the Bismarck, Beveridge, and out-of-pocket models of health care systems.
Bismarck = insurance-based, funded by employer/employee premiums; Beveridge = government-funded and provided through taxation (e.g., UK NHS); Out-of-pocket = patients pay directly, common in low-income countries.
List the sequential steps of the health program planning cycle.
Needs assessment, prioritization/objective setting, planning (strategy/resources), implementation, and evaluation (monitoring and feedback) — a continuous cyclical process.
What are the main stages of health policy formulation?
Problem identification/agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption (legitimation), implementation, and evaluation.
What this deck covers
The Public Health Dentistry deck follows the BDS Public Health Dentistry syllabus — 7 chapters and 26 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 7.3 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 118 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Public Health Dentistry flashcards FAQ
How many Public Health Dentistry flashcards are in this BDS deck?
51 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these BDS flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 51-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Public Health Dentistry cards cover?
They follow the BDS Public Health Dentistry syllabus — 7 chapters and 26 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.