Use this guide to connect the current technical sources to the eight tasks in the NBC Anatomy blueprint. The curriculum is organized by Anatomy subject; AFM chapter and section numbers identify where the supporting information comes from.
Anatomy represents 17-19% of the general-knowledge questions on the Comprehensive Written examination in the NBC handbook revised March 1, 2026.
| AFM-V1 source | Main subjects | NBC objectives supported |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 3, Sections 3A-3C | Reference terms, planes, joints, skull, cranial bones, and facial bones | Basic landmarks; facial and cranial skeletal anatomy |
| Chapter 3, Sections 3D-3E | Muscles of mastication, mandibular depressors, and facial-expression muscles | Muscles of mastication and facial expression |
| Chapter 3, Section 3F | Oral mucosa, vestibules, maxillary and mandibular landmarks, tongue, and salivary glands | Hard- and soft-tissue landmarks |
| Chapter 3, Section 3G | Temporomandibular joint structures | Landmarks and functional anatomy; supports later articulation study |
| Chapter 4, Section 4A | Tooth groups, names, numbering, tissues, surfaces, contours, contacts, and morphology | Tooth morphology and coding systems |
| Chapter 4, Section 4B | Identifying characteristics of individual permanent teeth | Tooth morphology |
Be able to distinguish:
Do not study these as isolated vocabulary. Practice locating each feature and explaining why it matters to a dental restoration, impression, denture border, or mandibular movement.
Prioritize the bones AFM-V1 identifies as being of primary interest:
For each bone, know its location, major landmarks, neighboring structures, and dental-laboratory relevance. Give extra attention to the maxilla and mandible.
For the muscles of mastication, study attachment, action, and effect on mandibular movement:
Also distinguish the mandibular depressors and the facial-expression muscles that affect denture contour, flange extension, lip support, cheek support, and the neutral zone.
Organize landmarks by arch and tissue type:
For each landmark, ask:
Identify the glenoid fossa, articular eminence, condyle, articular disc, synovial cavities, synovial membrane, capsule, and auxiliary ligaments. Be prepared to connect structure with rotational and translational mandibular movement.
Practice converting the same tooth among:
Practice in both directions. Recognition alone is not enough; you should be able to translate a tooth designation without consulting a chart.
Distinguish the anatomical crown, clinical crown, root, enamel, dentin, cementum, pulp, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone, and gingival tissues.
Be able to identify and correctly use terms for:
For every permanent tooth covered in Section 4B, build a comparison card containing:
Comparative questions are usually more useful than isolated descriptions. Study pairs such as maxillary versus mandibular, first versus second, and mesial versus distal.
Chapters 3 and 4 do not fully cover every current Anatomy task. Add targeted review for:
AFM-V1 Chapters 5 and 6 are useful follow-up sources for occlusion and mandibular articulation. Orthodontic material can reinforce growth, eruption, and malocclusion.
Use the CDT Study Club video series on YouTube for guided review and discussion alongside this outline.
The 2022 presentation listed Anatomy at 16-18%. This guide uses the current handbook range of 17-19% and retains the earlier presentation as historical study-club material.