National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the National Dental Assisting Exam with comprehensive quiz questions, including multiple choice and detailed explanations. Equip yourself for success!

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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Which structure extends from the base of the sulcus to the mucogingival junction?

Alveolar Process
Cervix
Free Gingivae
Clinical Crown

The correct answer is: Free Gingivae

The free gingivae is the correct answer, as it refers to the portion of the gum tissue that surrounds the teeth and extends from the base of the sulcus, which is the natural space between the tooth and the gingival tissue, down to the mucogingival junction. This junction is where the attached gingivae meets the lining of the oral cavity. Free gingivae is not firmly attached to the underlying bone and can be easily manipulated or pushed away from the tooth surface, distinguishing it from attached gingivae. In contrast, the alveolar process is the bony structure that supports the teeth and does not extend from the sulcus to the mucogingival junction; it is deeper within the oral cavity. The cervix, or cervical line of the tooth, is where the enamel of the crown meets the cementum of the root, but it does not describe the gum tissue itself. The clinical crown refers to the visible part of the tooth above the gum line, which is also unrelated to the structure of the gingival tissue in this context. Therefore, the free gingivae is the only structure that precisely fits the description provided in the question.