California RDA Written Practice Exam 2025 – Full Prep Guide

Restorative dentistry involves the diagnosis, treatment, and management of oral disease and damaged teeth. It primarily focuses on restoring the function and appearance of teeth that have been affected by decay, trauma, or disease. The term "restorative" refers to the process of repairing or replacing damaged or missing teeth. While the other options may involve some restorative aspects, such as improving the appearance of teeth, they do not encompass the full scope of restorative dentistry and are more specialized branches within dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the aesthetic appearance of teeth, prosthodontics deals with the replacement of missing teeth with artificial restorations, and orthodontics deals with correcting misalignments of teeth and jaws. Therefore, these options are not as encompassing as the term "restorative dentistry" for the field in general. As for operative dentistry, while it does involve