Dental Assistant Practice Exam

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Study for the Dental Assistant Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question includes hints and explanations to help you succeed. Get ready for your exam today!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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How many deciduous teeth are there in a typical child?

The correct answer is: 20

A typical child has 20 deciduous teeth, also known as primary teeth or baby teeth. These teeth are essential for several reasons: they help in the development of the child's jaw and facial structure, facilitate speech development, and are necessary for proper chewing and nutrition during early childhood. The deciduous teeth typically consist of 4 central incisors, 4 lateral incisors, 4 canines (cuspids), and 8 molars, making a total of 20. In contrast, adult humans typically have 32 permanent teeth, which is where the higher numbers seen in other options come from. Thus, the number of primary teeth is distinctly lower than the total number of permanent teeth that will develop later in life. The correct answer reflects the recognized standard for the number of deciduous teeth in children, making it an important detail to remember in dental health and pediatric dentistry.