Urgent Dental Assessment — ORE Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: B — Dental trauma with displacement or avulsion of teeth
Explanation lettering: D = shown as A · A = shown as B · B = shown as C · C = shown as D
Dental trauma with displacement or avulsion requires urgent same-day assessment because the prognosis of avulsed and displaced teeth depends critically on rapid intervention to preserve the periodontal ligament and neurovascular supply. SDCEP guidance explicitly categorizes traumatic dental injuries as requiring emergency/urgent unscheduled care. Options B (chipped tooth, no pain or sharp edges), C (lost filling, asymptomatic), D (mild reversible cold sensitivity), and E (broken denture) are asymptomatic or minor functional issues that may be managed non-urgently or as routine/routine-with-appropriate-delay dental care. The time-sensitive nature of dental trauma management—particularly avulsion—is a fundamental principle across all dental emergency protocols.
Reference: Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP). Management of Acute Dental Problems: guidance for healthcare professionals. 2nd edition. Available at: https://www.acutedentalproblems.sdcep.org.uk/ and https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/acute-dental-problems/