Oral medicine: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine

Sample item

Which description best fits a typical minor aphthous ulcer?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Painful shallow ulcer with an erythematous halo on nonkeratinized mucosa

Minor aphthous ulcers are usually painful, shallow, round or oval ulcers with a red halo on nonkeratinized oral mucosa and tend to heal spontaneously within one to two weeks.

Option by option

  • A. Painful shallow ulcer with an erythematous halo on nonkeratinized mucosa (correct)

    Correct: this painful shallow haloed lesion fits minor aphthous ulceration.

  • B. A diffuse black coating from calculus

    Calculus is mineralized plaque rather than an ulcerative lesion.

  • C. Painless hard mass fixed to bone

    A fixed hard mass warrants assessment for a different serious process.

  • D. A vesicle limited to the lip border only

    Lip-border vesicles are more typical of herpes labialis.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Dentistry questions

Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is A, Painful shallow ulcer with an erythematous halo on nonkeratinized mucosa. Minor aphthous ulcers are usually painful, shallow, round or oval ulcers with a red halo on nonkeratinized oral mucosa and tend to heal spontaneously within one to two weeks.

Why is "A diffuse black coating from calculus" not the answer?

Calculus is mineralized plaque rather than an ulcerative lesion.

Why is "Painless hard mass fixed to bone" not the answer?

A fixed hard mass warrants assessment for a different serious process.

Why is "A vesicle limited to the lip border only" not the answer?

Lip-border vesicles are more typical of herpes labialis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine in Dentistry. The correct option holds because: Correct: this painful shallow haloed lesion fits minor aphthous ulceration.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.