• 50 questions

NOCTI Dental Assisting Practice Test

Unofficial practice for NOCTI Dental Assisting: infection control, chairside and lab work, radiography, dental sciences, pharmacology and office procedures.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) joins the mandible to which bone of the skull?

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 59 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with NOCTI. Bank checked October 16, 2026.

Next step More dental practice: dental technicianAnother NOCTI test: Health Assisting

All 50 questions

Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession 4

  • A patient is referred to a specialist for root canal treatment. Which dental specialty studies and treats the dental pulp? Wikipedia, Endodontics. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession
  • Before treatment starts, a patient is told the risks, the benefits and the alternatives, and that treatment may be refused. Which ethical principle is being met? Wikipedia, Informed consent. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession
  • In the United States, which credential does a dental assistant earn by passing the national board's examination after an accredited program? Wikipedia, Dental assistant, United States. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession
  • Which dental specialty deals with the supporting structures of the teeth, such as the gums and the alveolar bone? Wikipedia, Periodontology. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession
Show all 50 questions (46 more)

Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures 4

  • A patient asks to see her own dental record. What does the HIPAA Privacy Rule give her? HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 CFR 164.524, paragraph (a)(1). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures
  • A patient hands in a written request for a copy of his record. Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, how soon must the office act on it? HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 CFR 164.524, paragraph (b)(2). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures
  • An insurance clerk asks the front desk for a patient's whole chart to settle one claim. What does the HIPAA Privacy Rule require of the office when it discloses records for such a purpose? HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 CFR 164.502, paragraph (b). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures
  • Which of these best describes a patient's record? Wikipedia, Medical record. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures

Infection Control and Safety 8

  • A dental assistant is stuck by a used needle and reports it. Under the bloodborne pathogens standard, what must the employer make immediately available? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (f)(3). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • After each patient, for how long should a handpiece that is connected to the dental water system be run to discharge water and air? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Handpieces and Other Devices Attached to Air and Waterlines. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • An assistant plans to wear gloves for a procedure. What do the CDC guidelines say about hand hygiene? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Gloves and Gloving. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • How often does the CDC recommend that each sterilizer be monitored with a biological indicator (a spore test)? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Sterilization Monitoring. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • In the CDC guidelines, patient-care items are critical, semicritical or noncritical. What makes an item semicritical? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Sterilization and Disinfection of Patient-Care Items. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • In the CDC guidelines, what is the most bacteria that water used as a coolant or irrigant in nonsurgical dental procedures should contain? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Unit Waterlines, Biofilm, and Water Quality. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • Instruments come back from the operatory with debris on them. In the CDC guidelines, what must come before any disinfection or sterilization? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Receiving, Cleaning, and Decontamination Work Area. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety
  • Used anesthetic needles are dropped into a sharps container. Which set of features must that container have? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (d)(4)(iii)(A)(1). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Infection Control and Safety

Laboratory Procedures/Materials and Instruments 3

  • Alginate is mixed for a preliminary impression. To which group of impression materials does alginate belong? Wikipedia, Dental impression. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Laboratory Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • An impression has just come out of the patient's mouth and is going to the in-office laboratory. What do the CDC guidelines call for first? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Laboratory. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Laboratory Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • In the laboratory, an impression is filled to make a cast. What is the relation between the two? Wikipedia, Dental impression. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Laboratory Procedures/Materials and Instruments

Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments 10

  • A temporary filling is mixed from zinc oxide powder and a liquid that comes from clove oil. What is the liquid? Wikipedia, Zinc oxide eugenol. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • A tray is set up for an amalgam restoration. According to the FDA, what is dental amalgam made of? U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dental Amalgam Fillings. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • The dentist asks for the explorer. How is the working end of a dental explorer designed? Wikipedia, Dental explorer. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • The dentist asks for the long, thin, blunt-ended instrument with millimeter markings. What is its main function? Wikipedia, Periodontal probe. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • The dentist dictates a Class II lesion to be charted. In G. V. Black's classification, where is a Class II cavity? Wikipedia, Greene Vardiman Black, Career. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • On a chart, a restoration is marked on the mesial surface of a tooth. Which surface is mesial? Wikipedia, Dental anatomy, Surfaces. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • On a composite tray, what is the curing light for? Wikipedia, Dental curing light. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • What is a dental dam used for during a restorative procedure? Wikipedia, Dental dam. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • When vital signs are taken at the chair, where is the pulse most commonly measured? Wikipedia, Pulse. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments
  • Which restorative material releases fluoride, which helps prevent further demineralization of enamel? Wikipedia, Glass ionomer cement. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments

Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures 8

  • A film has just been exposed in the patient's mouth. In the CDC guidelines, what is done with it before the gloves are removed? CDC, Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003 (MMWR 52, RR-17), Dental Radiology. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • In the federal x-ray standard, what does a beam-limiting device (a collimator) do? FDA performance standard for diagnostic x-ray systems, 21 CFR 1020.30, paragraph (b), Definitions. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • Radiation protection in the United States follows the ALARA principle. What does ALARA stand for? Wikipedia, ALARP. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • What does a personal radiation dosimeter do for the person who wears it? Wikipedia, Dosimeter. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • What is a bitewing radiograph taken to show? Wikipedia, Dental radiography, Bitewing view. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • Which image shows the upper and lower jaws together in a two-dimensional view from ear to ear? Wikipedia, Panoramic radiograph. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • Which protection is placed on the patient to reduce incidental exposure during dental x-rays? Wikipedia, Dental radiography. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures
  • Which radiograph is taken to evaluate the tip of a root and the bone that surrounds it? Wikipedia, Dental radiography, Periapical view. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures

Dental Sciences 9

  • A child has every primary tooth. How many teeth is that in each quadrant of the mouth? Wikipedia, Deciduous teeth, Formation. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • Angle's classification of occlusion is based on the position of which tooth? Wikipedia, Malocclusion, Angle's classification method. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • In the FDI two-digit notation, tooth 11 is the upper right permanent central incisor. What does the first digit of an FDI code give? Wikipedia, FDI World Dental Federation notation. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • On a Universal Numbering System chart, the upper teeth are numbered 1 to 16. At which tooth does the count of the lower teeth begin? Wikipedia, Universal Numbering System. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) joins the mandible to which bone of the skull? Wikipedia, Temporomandibular joint. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • What makes up the pulp, the innermost layer of a tooth? Wikipedia, Pulp (tooth). Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • Which are the largest of the salivary glands, one in front of each ear? Wikipedia, Parotid gland. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • Which calcified tissue covers the root of a tooth and anchors the periodontal ligament? Wikipedia, Cementum. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences
  • Which tissue of the tooth is the hardest substance in the human body? Wikipedia, Tooth enamel. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Sciences

Dental Pharmacology 4

  • A patient goes into anaphylaxis in the chair. Which drug is the primary treatment for anaphylaxis? Wikipedia, Anaphylaxis. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Pharmacology
  • Before an injection, a gel is dabbed on the mucosa at the site. What kind of agent is it? Wikipedia, Topical anesthetic. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Pharmacology
  • What kind of drug is an analgesic? Wikipedia, Analgesic. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Pharmacology
  • Why is a small amount of epinephrine often mixed with the local anesthetic lidocaine? Wikipedia, Lidocaine. Written to NOCTI Dental Assisting (4326), Dental Pharmacology

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the competency list of the Job Ready Credential Blueprint for Dental Assisting (code 4326, version 01, copyright 2026) that NOCTI publishes at https://www.nocti.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/JRDentalAsstg4326.pdf , read 2026-10-16: a written assessment of 128 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes over eight areas (Introduction to the Dental Assisting Profession 9%; Communication Skills and Business Office Procedures 7%; Infection Control and Safety 16%; Laboratory Procedures/Materials and Instruments 7%; Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments 19%; Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures 16%; Dental Sciences 17%; Dental Pharmacology 9%), plus a performance assessment of eight procedures. This bank holds 50 in those proportions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-16 on the public page named under its question: the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003; the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030; the HIPAA Privacy Rule in 45 CFR Part 164 and the FDA x-ray standard in 21 CFR 1020.30, on ecfr.gov; the Food and Drug Administration page on dental amalgam; and Wikipedia. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free NOCTI Dental Assisting practice test has 50 questions of our own, sorted by the eight areas of the Job Ready blueprint, code 4326. It is unofficial, not affiliated with NOCTI, and practice for an exam, not medical advice.

Read the full guide

Eight areas, chairside first

Chairside Procedures/Materials and Instruments is 19% of the written assessment and Dental Sciences 17%. Infection Control and Safety and Radiological and Digital Imaging Procedures are 16% each, the Dental Assisting Profession and Dental Pharmacology 9% each, and Laboratory Procedures and Business Office Procedures 7% each.

The written part against the clock

The timed round runs all 50 questions in 59 minutes, the pace of 128 questions in 2 hours and 30 minutes. The blueprint prints no pass mark, so the result is a score with no verdict.

Done for an evaluator

The eight performance procedures cannot be practiced on a screen. They include treating a contaminated tray, taking an impression, preparing a composite tray, transferring instruments and assembling a film holder.

  • Universal numbering: 1 to 16 cross the upper teeth from the patient's right, and 17 to 32 come back along the lower teeth.
  • Infection control answers follow the CDC's 2003 dental guidelines and OSHA 1910.1030. Your office protocol and your state's rules come first.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the NOCTI Dental Assisting test?

The Job Ready blueprint, code 4326, lists 128 written questions in 2 hours and 30 minutes, given in one, two or three sessions. The eight performance procedures take another 1 hour and 50 minutes.

What is on the NOCTI Dental Assisting test?

The profession, its ethics and the dental specialties; patient records, HIPAA and scheduling; infection control; laboratory materials; chairside procedures, charting and restorative materials; radiography and radiation protection; head, neck and tooth anatomy with the numbering systems; and medications, anesthetics and emergencies.

Is this also practice for the NOCTI Teacher test in dental assisting?

Yes. The Teacher assessment for Dental Assisting, code 5571, prints the same eight written areas with the same weights, and 128 questions in 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Where is the NOCTI Dental Assisting blueprint?

NOCTI posts it as a free PDF at nocti.org/credentials/blueprints, with the competencies, the weights, ten sample questions and a sample procedure. This page uses none of the ten samples.

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