• 59 questions

Certified Dental Technician Practice Test

Unofficial practice for the CDT Comprehensive exam: anatomy, materials, impressions, articulation and laboratory safety, every answer sourced.

Which class of teeth is missing from the primary (deciduous) dentition?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC). Bank checked October 12, 2026.

The real exam, as NBC describes it

Questions
170
Time limit
165 minutes
Scored
160 scored, 10 field test (not graded)
Passing score
Number correct; the minimum comes with the confirmation letter
General domains
Materials 34 to 36%, anatomy 17 to 19%, safety 12 to 14%
Other domains
Impressions 10 to 12%, regulations 8 to 10%, terminology and articulation 6 to 8% each
To become a CDT
Three exams in four years: Comprehensive, Specialty, Practical
Specialties
Seven, from ceramics to partial dentures

Checked October 12, 2026 against NBC, CDT Examination Handbook and Application (Revised 3/1/2026): About the CDT Examinations, and Examination Content & Tasks. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

NBC's own Certified Dental Technicians page

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All 59 questions

Regulations and scope of practice 5

  • A case slip shows the patient's name and date of birth. Under HIPAA, demographic details collected from an individual can be part of which kind of information? 45 CFR 160.103, definitions
  • A container of a hazardous chemical arrives at the laboratory with its label. What does the Hazard Communication standard say about that label? 29 CFR 1910.1200, paragraph (f)(9)
  • Under the FDA rule on who must register a device establishment, how are dental laboratory personnel treated when their main duty is to provide a service with a previously manufactured device? 21 CFR 807.65, paragraph (i)
  • What should the prescription for a fixed restoration give the technician, by the Army dental laboratory bulletin? Department of the Army, TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (2011), paragraph 3-2
  • Where are the federal current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements for medical devices set out? 21 CFR 820.1, paragraph (a)
Show all 59 questions (54 more)

Anatomy and occlusion 12

  • A cast shows a complete primary dentition. How many teeth should it carry? Wikipedia, Deciduous teeth, section "Formation"
  • A prescription for a child's appliance uses the Universal Numbering System. How does that system label the primary teeth? Wikipedia, Universal Numbering System, section "Universal numbering system"
  • A prescription written in the Universal Numbering System asks for a crown on tooth 1. Which tooth is that? Wikipedia, Universal Numbering System, section "Universal numbering system"
  • A work order in the Universal Numbering System lists tooth 17 as an abutment for a partial denture. Which tooth is that? Wikipedia, Universal Numbering System, section "Universal numbering system"
  • How does FDI (ISO 3950) notation name a tooth? Wikipedia, FDI World Dental Federation notation, opening section
  • How many premolars are there in a full permanent dentition of 32 teeth? Wikipedia, Permanent teeth, opening section
  • In Angle Class I occlusion, where does the mesiobuccal cusp of the maxillary first molar occlude? Wikipedia, Occlusion (dentistry), section "Molar Relationship"
  • What is canine guidance? Wikipedia, Occlusion (dentistry), section "Anterior guidance system"
  • What is the Curve of Spee? Wikipedia, Curve of Spee, opening section
  • Which class of teeth is missing from the primary (deciduous) dentition? Wikipedia, Dental anatomy, section "Nomenclature"
  • Which four muscles are the classical muscles of mastication? Wikipedia, Muscles of mastication, section "Structure"
  • Which tissue of the tooth is the body's hardest and most highly mineralized substance? Wikipedia, Human tooth, section "Enamel"

Terminology and principles 4

  • How does the FDA device rule describe an endosseous dental implant? 21 CFR, section 872.3640
  • In a fixed bridge, what is a pontic? Wikipedia, Bridge (dentistry), section "Definitions"
  • In a fixed bridge, what is the retainer? Wikipedia, Bridge (dentistry), section "Definitions"
  • What sets a removable partial denture apart from a fixed prosthesis? Wikipedia, Removable partial denture, opening section

Articulation 4

  • What does a face-bow transfer to the articulator? Wikipedia, Face-bow, opening section
  • What does vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) describe? Wikipedia, Vertical dimension of occlusion, opening section
  • What is an articulator? Wikipedia, Articulator, opening section
  • Which kind of articulator works with some fixed values that are averages? Wikipedia, Articulator, section "Semi-adjustable articulator"

Dental laboratory materials 20

  • A wetting agent (surfactant) helps a liquid spread over a wax pattern. What does a surfactant do? Wikipedia, Surfactant, opening section
  • By the FDA device rule, what is a denture relining, repairing or rebasing resin made of? 21 CFR, section 872.3760
  • By the FDA device rule, what is porcelain powder for clinical use a mixture of? 21 CFR, section 872.6660
  • CAD/CAM dentistry makes parts from 3D models by subtractive and additive processes. Which pair gives one example of each? Wikipedia, CAD/CAM dentistry, opening section
  • Chemically, what is gypsum? Wikipedia, Gypsum, opening section
  • How does dental stone compare with plaster? Wikipedia, Plaster, section "Medicine"
  • In lost-wax casting, what are sprues for? Wikipedia, Lost-wax casting, section "Process"
  • In lost-wax casting, what happens at burnout? Wikipedia, Lost-wax casting, section "Process"
  • Into which three groups does the American Dental Association sort casting alloys? Wikipedia, Crown (dental restoration), section "Full metal crowns"
  • What does the FDA device rule say intraoral dental wax is used for in prosthetic work? 21 CFR, section 872.6890
  • What is denatured alcohol? Wikipedia, Denatured alcohol, opening section
  • What is pickling of a metal casting? Wikipedia, Pickling (metal), opening section
  • What is sintering? Wikipedia, Sintering, opening section
  • What is the job of a flux such as borax when metal is heated for brazing or soldering? Wikipedia, Brazing, section "Flux"
  • What separates soldering from brazing? Wikipedia, Soldering, section "Soldering vs. brazing"
  • Which form of zirconia is the strong base material of some full ceramic restorations? Wikipedia, Crown (dental restoration), section "Zirconia"
  • Which metals does the FDA device rule name as examples of the main content of a base metal alloy? 21 CFR, section 872.3710
  • Which metals does the FDA device rule name as examples of the main content of a noble metal alloy? 21 CFR, section 872.3060
  • Which property makes pumice useful in polishing? Wikipedia, Pumice, section "Other uses"
  • Which way of polymerizing PMMA is most commonly used to make dentures? Wikipedia, Poly(methyl methacrylate), section "Dentistry"

Impressions and models 6

  • By the Army dental laboratory bulletin, how must dies be built so that they seat accurately without rotation? Department of the Army, TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (2011), paragraph 3-2
  • By the Army dental laboratory bulletin, in what material must master and opposing casts for fixed prostheses be poured? Department of the Army, TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (2011), paragraph 3-2
  • What kind of material is polyvinyl siloxane (PVS)? Wikipedia, Polyvinyl siloxane, opening section
  • Which impression material is an irreversible hydrocolloid? Wikipedia, Dental impression, section "Uses"
  • Which of these does the Army dental laboratory bulletin require of a cast? Department of the Army, TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (2011), paragraph 3-4
  • While stone sets in an impression, what can cause distortion, by the Army dental laboratory bulletin? Department of the Army, TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (2011), paragraph 3-4

Safe working practices 8

  • A new technician will handle impressions that may carry blood. By when must the employer offer the hepatitis B vaccination? 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (f)(2)(i)
  • Acid for pickling castings is used at a bench. What must be within the work area in case it reaches someone's eyes or body? 29 CFR 1910.151, paragraph (c)
  • An impression arrives from a dental office. With what should it be disinfected before it is handled in the laboratory? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Laboratory
  • An impression with blood on it arrives at the bench. Under Universal Precautions, how is that blood treated? 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (b)
  • The laboratory keeps a safety data sheet for its acrylic monomer. How many numbered sections does a safety data sheet have? 29 CFR 1910.1200, paragraph (g)(2)
  • The laboratory keeps portable fire extinguishers near the casting area. How often must they be visually inspected? 29 CFR 1910.157, paragraph (e)
  • Which two signal words may appear on the label of a hazardous chemical? 29 CFR 1910.1200, paragraph (c)
  • Why should a dental laboratory set up a separate receiving and disinfecting area? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Laboratory

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the General domains of the Comprehensive examination in the Examination Content & Tasks section of the CDT Examination Handbook and Application (Revised 3/1/2026) that the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC) publishes (https://nbccert.org/pdfs/CDTExamHandbook.pdf, linked from https://nbccert.org/certificants/certified-dental-technician/, read 2026-10-12): A regulations and scope of practice 8-10%, B anatomy 17-19%, C terminology and principles 6-8%, D articulation 6-8%, E dental laboratory materials 34-36%, F impressions and models 10-12%, G safe working practices 12-14% of the general knowledge questions. The bank holds 5, 12, 4, 4, 20, 6 and 8 questions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-12 in the public source the question names: federal regulations in the eCFR text of 2026-09-01 (21 CFR 807.65, 820.1 and Part 872; 29 CFR 1910.151, 1910.157, 1910.1030 and 1910.1200; 45 CFR 160.103); the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), read in the Internet Archive's copy of the cdc.gov page; Department of the Army Technical Bulletin TB MED 148, U.S. Army Dental Laboratory Prosthodontic Service (5 July 2011, approved for public release), read at archive.org; and Wikipedia articles on tooth notation, dental anatomy, occlusion, articulators and laboratory materials, each named on its question. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free Certified Dental Technician practice test has 59 questions of our own in the general domains of the written Comprehensive exam. Unofficial: not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC).

Read the full guide

What the questions follow

The General domains of the Comprehensive examination in the NBC handbook, revised March 1, 2026 and read October 12, 2026. Dental laboratory materials is the largest, about a third of the bank.

Where the answers come from

Each answer names a public source: FDA device rules for dental materials (21 CFR Part 872), OSHA standards, the CDC infection control guidelines for dental settings, an Army dental laboratory bulletin and Wikipedia articles on anatomy and materials. The textbooks that the handbook lists were not used.

What is left out

The Comprehensive exam also asks specialty questions, such as ceramics, complete dentures and digital workflow. Those are not in this bank. Exam mode asks 50 questions in 50 minutes, close to the pace of the real exam.

  • The outline also asks about practice within your state dental practice act. Read the act of your own state, which this page does not cover.

Questions and answers

What is on the certified dental technician exam?

Three exams within four years, by the NBC handbook: a written Comprehensive exam, and a written Specialty exam and hands-on Practical exam in one specialty. This page practices the general knowledge part of the Comprehensive exam.

How many questions are on the CDT Comprehensive exam?

160 multiple-choice questions, plus ten field test questions that are not graded, in up to two and three-quarter hours, by the NBC handbook.

What is the passing score for the CDT exam?

The handbook prints none. Written passing scores are based on how many questions are answered correctly, and candidates get the current minimum passing scores in their examination confirmation letter.

Is there a certified dental technician exam study guide?

The NBC handbook lists references, among them two Air Force pamphlets on dental laboratory technology and an examination preparation guide sold by the National Association of Dental Laboratories. This page is a question bank, not a guide.

Does this help with the CDT practical exam?

No. The Practical exam is hands-on work in one specialty, graded by three NBC examiners. The handbook calls day-to-day, hands-on experience the primary preparation for it.

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