National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

A common requirement after mixing dental materials is to:

1. Store them for future use

2. Discard any excess immediately

3. Apply them without waiting

4. Let them set before cleaning

The correct answer is: Discard any excess immediately

After mixing dental materials, it is critical to discard any excess immediately to ensure patient safety and material integrity. Many dental materials, such as impression materials or restorative composites, have specific working times and can begin to harden or react once mixed. Keeping excess material could lead to inaccuracies in procedures or contamination if the material does not remain within the controlled environment needed for effective use. Immediate disposal of excess material helps prevent any potential cross-contamination between used and unused materials, which is vital in maintaining sterile conditions in a dental practice. It also ensures that the mixed materials are only used when they are at their optimal working stage, reducing the risk of applying materials that may not be effective due to having surpassed their usable working time. Other options involve methods that could compromise the quality of the dental procedure, such as storing mixed materials for future use, which is generally not advisable due to their altered state after mixing, or applying them without waiting, as that might lead to complications if the material has begun to set too early.