Video summary
The video provides a comprehensive guide on how to effectively study dental anatomy for the board exam, emphasizing the importance of understanding anatomical body systems and spatial orientation. The instructor stresses that candidates must be able to distinguish between different anatomical planes, such as the transverse plane which divides the body into top and bottom sections, the sagittal plane which separates left and right sides, and the frontal plane which distinguishes front from back. A key concept highlighted is the anatomical position, where the body stands tall with the face forward, feet together, and arms hanging at the sides, serving as the standard reference point for describing locations of lesions or structures. The speaker advises students to visualize these planes rather than just memorizing definitions, noting that confusing terms like anterior with transverse can lead to errors on the exam.
In addition to broad body systems, the tutorial focuses on specific landmarks within the oral cavity and skull that are frequently tested. Viewers are instructed to differentiate between the hard palate, located near the incisors, and the soft palate closer to the throat, as well as to understand the distinctions between attached gingiva, which covers a wider area further from the teeth, and marginal gingiva, which sits directly at the gum line. The lesson also delves into tongue papillae, explaining their specific locations: circumvallate at the back, filiform on the lateral surfaces, foliate in the middle, and fungiform near the anterior tip. Furthermore, the instructor encourages students to study cranial bones like the frontal, parietal, and temporal bones by looking at images rather than just reading text descriptions, as visualizing where these bones sit—such as the temporal bone at the temples or the parietal bones on the sides of the cranium—makes retention much easier.
To master these complex topics, the video advocates for a study strategy that combines visual learning with active recall and restudying. The instructor suggests using a "master book" filled with images to first visualize the structures before reading detailed descriptions, a method that helps solidify understanding faster than rote memorization alone. This approach is supported by live classes where students can ask questions and engage in critical thinking exercises involving multiple-choice scenarios. The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects including cells, tissues, organs, the axial and appendicular skeletons, muscles of the head and neck, and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). By consistently reviewing materials, practicing with case studies, and utilizing both visual aids and textual explanations, students can build the confidence needed to pass the board exam on their first attempt.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
>> Let's study head and neck anatomy
together and what you have to know for
the board exam. I've been a dental
professional for 22 years now and I've
been tutoring since I was 19 years of
age, so I love teaching you. But let's
just jump right into it. So let's say
we're going to go over the body systems
first, okay? So let me just zoom in a
little bit for everybody.
So I have this master book that I give
to all of my students who sign up for
the board exam prep academy. So in case
you're wondering where this lovely book
comes from, I can leave the link for you
down below if this is something you are
interested in. So body systems, okay? So
we're talking about anatomical body
systems. We're dividing the body
between, you know, up down, posterior,
anterior, superior. You do need to know
those different types for the board
exam. And when I teach my my um class on
anatomy, we go through these pictures as
well, so I can make sure that you do
understand the differences. On the board
exam, they might simply ask you
something about the transverse plane. So
you have to know where that transverse
plane is. Is it dividing the body
between, you know, front and back or
anterior and posterior or, you know, the
the top portion or the bottom portion?
Well, if you can see that here, it's the
top and the bottom portion. But not to
be confused with the frontal axis or the
sagittal axis. So sagittal, think kind
of
um
I don't want to say down the middle
because that's kind of the midline
there. But sagittal is dividing the body
in between kind of those two parts. So
think sagittal is left and right, but
when we're looking at transverse, it's
top and bottom. So does everybody kind
of understand that one? And then if I
click through here to this one, sorry
it's a little bit blurry, but look at
the difference between the sagittal
plane, but then we also have the
anterior, the posterior. We talked about
the transverse, but what about the
frontal plane? So, that is the the the
like the front, sorry, the front and the
back. Not to be confused with the
transverse.
The sagittal is different. So, we go
through all of this in the live classes
that I do have for anatomy. I'm just
kind of quickly doing it here for you.
So, back to the master book. So, the
anatomical position is to make sure that
you understand when we're talking about
a macule or talking about an oral
pathology lesion or basically anything,
that you know how to divide the body.
You're not going to say the anterior
portion of the mouth is going to be the
transverse portion of the mouth, because
that's very different. But, even if
we're just simply talking about a mole
on the forehead, you need to know that
that's more anterior. We're not talking
about the the the transverse plane or
we're not talking about the midsagittal,
cuz that's kind of dividing from left
and right, but we would be talking about
more frontal. And don't worry if this
might be a little bit confusing to you.
We have lots of critical thinking
multiple choice questions that we go
over together in all of my classes for
the Board Exam Prep Academy.
So, remember, in different positions
the body though is always going to be
standing tall, the face is going to be
forward, the feet are together, and the
arms hang at the side. This was part of
an actual board exam prep question. Part
of what does the body look like when
we're talking about the anatomical
position? It doesn't look like this,
>> [laughter]
>> which probably looks funny, but we are
basically standing front, we are
standing tall, the face is forward, the
feet are together, not apart, and the
arms just simply hang at the side. So, I
have lots of images. Here's sort of one
to kind of show you what I'm talking
about here, okay? But, and then I go
through even more so. So, not just the
photos, but I go through exactly what
each one of them are. The midsagittal,
sagittal, horizontal, frontal plane, and
then as you know, there's a lot more to
it. So, every little step you are going
to understand the different terms. You
are going to understand what everything
means and why we wouldn't simply say a
macule on the forehead is part of the
sagittal plane. We're going to be using
it as something else. But, also a part
of head and neck anatomy is we're going
to be going over stem cells. We are
going to be going over landmarks of the
mouth, which I'm actually going to start
there first. So,
um
don't think about the cells for a
moment. We're going to quickly go over
some landmarks inside the mouth. So,
this is a very simple one here, but you
need to make sure to remember the
differences between the hard palate and
the soft palate. Something that's
commonly mistaken. The hard palate is
going to be I tell students it's closer
to the inside of the mouth. Think just
behind your anteriors, your incisors.
The soft palate is going to be closer to
the throat, and it is actually soft. If
you touch both, the hard palate is going
to be soft further back, the soft palate
is actually soft, hence the name. You
need to know, of course, where the
molars are, premolars, canines. But, you
also need to make sure to understand the
different areas of the attached gingiva.
I have more images inside the course.
This is to just kind of show you guys.
So, do you know the differences between
the attached gingiva? What about the
marginal gingiva? So, the The
is going to be just as the name
suggests, right at the margins, okay?
But attached is always going to be
higher up or further down depending on
if if we're talking about the maxillary
or the mandible. The marginal is closest
to the tooth. It's the margin. But
attached gingiva is the other part of
the gum that we see closer to the lip,
you know, closer to the inside of the
lips. That's the attached gingiva. It
covers a much wider area of the mouth.
But guess what else you have to know. We
talk about the tongue papilla.
So, make sure to know the difference
between circumvallate, filiform,
foliate, and fungiform. And here's a
great image right here. We go through
much more detail inside the course, and
I even practice with you with some
really good critical thinking questions
on the tongue because they love to ask
about the tongue on the board exam. So,
circumvallate is closer back. Filiform
is towards the lateral surfaces of the
tongue. But then we have foliate, which
is going to be more so towards the
middle. And then fungiform is more so
towards the anterior. But these
different papillas can also vary in
children and adults a little bit as
well. Now, not to forget the head and
neck of the skull. We need to know the
frontal of the skull. The side. We need
to know even we need to think about
things like the mastoid process, the
styloid process. So, see this area right
here. We need to know also looking at
the skull from the bottom. So, this
would be a whole other class. But I
suggest when you're studying bones of
the skull, instead of simply reading
what the temporal bone is or reading
what the occipital bone is, the back of
the skull, the back of the head, um look
at the picture here. If you can memorize
and understand these images, when they
ask a question about the frontal bone,
as an example, you can picture it in
your mind and go the frontal bone is
here, is the forehead, and then you can
answer the questions a lot more easier
than if you simply read that the frontal
bone is the forehead, the bigger bone of
the head, you know, things like that. I
find it's a lot easier to look at the
picture. So, to just kind of skip
through here,
as you can quickly see, we go through
tissues, we go through cells, and then
of course, the
the skull, we go through the axial
system, the the the appendicular
skeleton, but I'm just kind of going
down here to show you guys the head and
neck as well. So, this is now talking
about the heart, we go through that as
well. Head and neck is usually further
back. So, when we're going through our
live classes, I'm going to skip through
and go through a bunch of different
things, but the nice thing is you all
have all of this inside the course. If
you're a part of the Board Exam Prep
Academy, I tell you exactly what page to
go to, and I even have it right on
screen for easier studying. So, remember
how I said, let's say you're you're
studying the bones of the skull. I
suggest looking at the image instead of
just simply reading and going, "Okay,
the frontal bone forms the forehead and
the upper part of the eye socket. It
protects the frontal lobe of the brain."
If you're able to picture that as you're
reading it, okay, great. Or if you're
the type of person where you first need
to look at the image to see where the
frontal bone is, and then maybe you want
to go back to read about it, then that's
great. That's really good studying. But,
most students tell me that this might be
a bit too much for them. They go back to
the master book as a really good review.
But, what they're going to do first is
they're going to study the images, and
then go back to see if they remembered.
So, it's great to have both for you and
make studying a lot easier. So, in case
you're curious, let's talk about a
couple cranial bones and let's study
together. So, as as we said, the frontal
bone is going to be the forehead. But,
where are the parietal bones? They are
located on the sides and the roof of the
cranium. These bones protect the upper
sides of the brain. The temporal bones
is found beneath the parietal. These
house structures critical for for the
hearing and the balance, the the ear
canal, and protect the temporal lobes of
the brain.
So, parietal bones and temporal bones.
Looking at the image, what's easier for
you to study? The parietal bone is right
here at the side. So, frontal bone,
parietal bone, and then we said the
temporal bone, right? The temporal bone
is at your temples. Frontal, parietal,
temporal. As you're studying anatomy, do
that often. Re-study what you just
learned, and I promise you you will
learn anatomy so much faster. And that's
what the live classes are for, too. I
can help you. We study together. You ask
me questions, and we go through
everything together. So, here's again
some great master book pages teaching
you all about head and neck anatomy,
bones of the skull. But, then what we're
also going to do is I'm going to read
through during our live classes
everything that you have to know for the
board exam. We are very specific. So,
first I'm going to go through the
anatomical planes. You can see them
right here. But, then we're going to go
through terms as well. I'm going to make
sure you understand the differences
between superior, inferior, anterior,
posterior, medial, lateral, proximal,
and distal. So, to do that quickly
together, superior um actually, can I
zoom in a little bit more for you guys?
Sorry about the small writing there.
Superior is towards the head or the
upper part of the body. Not to be
confused with anterior, which is towards
the front of the body. So, superior is
the upper portion, but anterior is the
frontal. This wouldn't be superior s- s-
uh superior is thinking um like upper or
lower, okay? But anterior is the
anterior or the posterior. So, the
anterior is front and the posterior is
is back. But what about inferior? So, a
good way to think about it is superior
is towards the head, but the opposite of
that cuz there's always an opposite is
inferior towards the feet. Not to be
confused with the anterior and
posterior. So, the anterior is towards
the front, posterior is towards the
back. But what about medial? Is the
midline of the body, meaning right in
the middle. Lateral is away from the
midline. So, when you're looking at oral
anatomy or let's just say oral
pathology, like you're you're keeping an
eye on a lesion that might be on the
tongue. Is it towards the midline of the
tongue or lateral of the tongue, off to
the side?
So, that's why all of this studying has
to come together, something that you
have to know, right? Proximal and
distal. So, proximal is closer to the
point of origin, whereas distal is
further. So, you could also say mesial
and distal. Mesial is closest to the
point of origin, which is the midline.
Distal is further from the midline. So,
further from the point of origin. So,
that's one way to think about it. If
you're not sure what point of origin
means, it just simply means mesial. So,
the midline of the body. And then, as I
kind of talked about in the master book,
we then go through cells, tissues,
organs, organ systems. We do all of this
in our live class. And as you guys can
see, there's a ton of stuff here. I
teach it to you. And then for homework,
what you're going to do is go over the
master book, if you want to, of course I
don't pressure or make anybody do this.
But then I say to go through the master
book and restudy what we learned in in
that class either that morning or that
evening. So you restudy it in your own
way and that will help it stick. And
then we go through questions multiple
choice questions answers and rationales
so you truly understand everything. But
I'm going to save the questions for
another video
study these things first, okay? So if
you're wondering well Andrea, what can I
study? I tell people to go through the
master book and go through the modules
inside the course. So I want you to
study for anatomy study the body
systems, okay? So I'm just going to show
you on the master book here. Study the
body systems and feel free to write this
down.
Study I want you to study bones of the
skull, okay? And if you have the master
book you have all these pages right here
for you or feel free to use your
textbook if you don't have the master
book. That's okay, too. But the master
book's a lot more exciting to study,
isn't it? Study muscles of the head and
neck very important. That's all part of
anatomy. Study the TMJ joint area
because we go through that when we go
over bones of the skull. These are all
of the different images that I'm going
to teach all of you guys in our class
and we never you know forget about the
TMJ. That's all part of it.
But I also want you to go over um the
landmarks. So think about things like
you know teeth, the tongue, the lips,
the cheeks, anything inside the mouth,
okay? And that's all inside your master
book. Feel free to subscribe to my
YouTube channel cuz we will be going
over more each and every single week.
Feel free to comment if you want me to
dig deeper into something on anatomy
that you didn't quite understand. I am
always happy to help cuz every week
there's going to be a different topic.
In our board exam boot camp, we have
classes every single day for a couple
weeks and then we have a class once a
week for a couple months. So there's
different topics that we're always going
through. There's going to be homework
for those who choose to do it. There's
going to be workbooks with even more
questions and critical thinking case
study practice together during our live
classes but also separate practice as
homework to make sure you pass that
board exam on the first attempt. So
reach out to me, let me know if any
questions comment below. Thank you for
watching and I'll see you guys in the
next video.