AFK weekly newsletter 8

Mar 16 / AFK study plan
- Now's the moment to unleash your curiosity! Let's blend and mash up questions from various topics and truly put your collective dental knowledge to the test!

- Today, let’s tackle just 5 questions from our question bank together, diving into each answer and the concepts behind them.

-If you’re pressed for time, feel free to scroll to the end of the page to find the ✅ Takeaway & 📌 Study Tip. Together, let’s empower ourselves with knowledge!

#Pathology
 1- Which of the following is NOT a feature of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)?
◯ A. Limited mouth opening.
◯ B. Increase in the amount of keratinized gingiva with time.
◯ C. Progressive organ failure.
◯ D. Increase in the width of the periodontal ligament space

  B. Increase in the amount of keratinized gingiva with time.
Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) is a chronic connective tissue disease characterized by excessive fibrosis, vascular abnormalities, and immune system dysfunction.

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✅ A. Limited mouth opening (True)

Scleroderma causes fibrosis of the skin and soft tissues, leading to perioral tightening and reduced mouth opening (microstomia). This is a well-known oral manifestation of systemic sclerosis.

✅ C. Progressive organ failure (True)

Systemic sclerosis can involve internal organs such as the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis), heart (myocardial fibrosis), kidneys (scleroderma renal crisis), and gastrointestinal tract (esophageal dysmotility), leading to multi-organ failure over time.

✅ D. Increase in the width of the periodontal ligament (PDL) space (True)

Widening of the PDL space is a key radiographic finding in scleroderma due to excessive collagen deposition around the teeth, often without significant bone loss or mobility.
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#Perio
2- The primary etiological factor for the development of dental caries is:
◯ A. Reduced salivary flow.
◯ B. Compromised immune response.
◯ C. Development of resistant bacteria.
◯ D. Accumulation of biofilm.

 D. Accumulation of biofilm.
Dental caries is a multifactorial disease, but the primary etiological factor is the accumulation of biofilm (dental plaque) on the tooth surface.
Dental plaque (biofilm) is a complex microbial community that adheres to tooth surfaces. When fermentable carbohydrates (sugars) are consumed, bacteria in the biofilm produce acids that demineralize enamel and dentin, leading to caries formation.
  • A. Reduced salivary flow (Indirect factor)
  • B. Compromised immune response (Indirect factor)
  • C. Development of resistant bacteria (Not a major factor)

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#Anatomy
3- Which of the following is responsible for vertical growth of the mandible?
◯A. Growth at the coronoid process.
◯ B. Growth at the condylar cartilage.
◯ C. Resorption at the anterior border of the ramus.
◯ D. Deposition at the posterior border of the ramus.

 B. Growth at the condylar cartilage
Mandibular growth occurs in multiple directions through a combination of endochondral ossification, appositional bone deposition, and resorption. Vertical growth, in particular, is mainly influenced by the growth of the condylar cartilage. 
The condylar cartilage acts as a secondary growth center for the mandible. Growth at this site contributes to the increase in mandibular height (vertical growth) as the mandible elongates and adapts to the developing face.
This growth occurs through endochondral ossification, where cartilage is gradually replaced by bone.

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❌ A. Growth at the coronoid process (Incorrect)

The coronoid process contributes more to muscle attachment (e.g., temporalis) rather than direct mandibular growth. It plays a secondary role in modifying the shape of the mandible but does not significantly influence vertical growth.

❌ C. Resorption at the anterior border of the ramus (Incorrect)

Resorption at the anterior border of the ramus is part of the mandibular remodeling process, but it does not drive vertical growth. Instead, it helps maintain the balance between different growth areas by modifying the shape of the mandible.

❌ D. Deposition at the posterior border of the ramus (Incorrect)

Bone deposition at the posterior ramus mainly contributes to the increase in mandibular length (anteroposterior growth) rather than vertical growth.

#Epidemiology 
4- Which of the following statements is true?
◯ A.In randomized controlled trials, the control group always receives no treatment.
◯B. In randomized controlled trials, the subjects are assigned to the control or experimental group based on existing signs and symptoms.
◯ C. Randomized controlled trials are useful in establishing the effects of a certain risk factor on the development of disease.
◯ D. Randomized controlled trials are beneficial in determining whether a new therapy is more effective at treating a disease than the existing available therapy

  D. Randomized controlled trials are beneficial in determining whether a new therapy is more effective at treating a disease than the existing available therapy.
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a gold-standard experimental study design used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new treatments
The primary goal of RCTs is to compare a new treatment against an existing treatment or placebo to evaluate effectiveness and safety.
Example: RCTs are used to test new cancer drugs, vaccines, or surgical techniques to determine if they perform better than current treatments.

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❌ A. In randomized controlled trials, the control group always receives no treatment (False)

In RCTs, the control group may receive a placebo, standard treatment, or no treatment at all. The purpose is to compare the effects of the experimental intervention against a control condition.
Example: In drug trials, the control group might receive an existing approved drug instead of no treatment.

❌ B. In randomized controlled trials, the subjects are assigned to the control or experimental group based on existing signs and symptoms (False)

In RCTs, subjects are assigned to groups randomly, not based on symptoms.
This randomization reduces selection bias and ensures comparability between groups.

❌ C. Randomized controlled trials are useful in establishing the effects of a certain risk factor on the development of disease (False)

RCTs test interventions rather than study risk factors.
Cohort studies or case-control studies are better suited to investigating the effects of risk factors on disease development.

#Epi
5- If a disease has a high incidence and low prevalence, this indicates:
◯A. That the disease is infectious.
◯ B. That the disease is chronic.
◯ C. That the disease is fatal.
◯ D. That the disease is non-curable but non-fatal

  C. That the disease is fatal.gical excision.
Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease in a population over a given time, while prevalence refers to the total number of existing cases at a given time.
When a disease has high incidence but low prevalence, this means:
  • Many new cases are occurring (high incidence).
  • The total number of people living with the disease is low (low prevalence).
  • This suggests that affected individuals either recover quickly or die rapidly after diagnosis.

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✅ Takeaway & 📌 Study Tip

1️⃣ Systemic Sclerosis & Oral Manifestations (Pathology)

✅ Takeaway:
Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) causes fibrosis, leading to limited mouth opening, progressive organ failure, and widened PDL space.
Gingival overgrowth is NOT a feature—instead, patients may have gingival recession and dry mouth.
📌 Study Tip:
Use a comparison table to differentiate systemic diseases with oral manifestations (e.g., systemic sclerosis vs. Sjögren’s syndrome vs. lupus).
Memorize key radiographic findings (widened PDL space).

2️⃣ Dental Caries Etiology (Periodontology)

✅ Takeaway:
Biofilm (dental plaque) accumulation is the primary cause of caries.
Other factors (saliva, immunity, bacterial virulence) influence caries risk but are not the main cause.
📌 Study Tip:
Use a flowchart to visualize the caries process: Biofilm → Acid production → Enamel demineralization → Cavity formation.
Understand caries risk factors using Keyes’ Triad (Host, Diet, Microorganisms).

3️⃣ Mandibular Growth (Anatomy)

✅ Takeaway:
Vertical growth of the mandible occurs at the condylar cartilage (endochondral ossification).
Other processes (coronoid growth, resorption/deposition at the ramus) contribute to shape changes, not vertical height.
📌 Study Tip:
Use diagrams to visualize mandibular growth centers.
Relate to clinical cases, such as growth disorders (e.g., condylar hyperplasia)

4️⃣ Randomized Controlled Trials (Epidemiology)

✅ Takeaway:
RCTs evaluate treatment efficacy by comparing a new therapy to an existing treatment or placebo.
They do NOT study risk factors (use cohort studies for that).
📌 Study Tip:
Create a study design chart comparing RCTs, cohort studies, and case-control studies.
Practice identifying study types from real research abstracts.

5️⃣  Incidence vs. Prevalence (Epidemiology)

✅ Takeaway:
High incidence + Low prevalence = Fatal disease (e.g., Ebola, pancreatic cancer).
High prevalence diseases are usually chronic (e.g., diabetes, arthritis).
📌 Study Tip:
Use graphs to visualize incidence vs. prevalence.
Practice with real-world examples: Compare influenza vs. HIV vs. pancreatic cancer in terms of incidence/prevalence.

🔹 Read questions twice

Don't jump to options before reading questions.

🔹 Look for the keyword

It will guide you to the correct answer, which will guide you to the Ferrari later.  

🔹 Draw diagrams

Drawing nerve pathways, expansion appliances can help you retain key concepts. 🚀

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