Q: How many cranial bones do you have?
(A). 1
(B). 2
(C). 5
(D). 8
(E). 22
There are 22 bones in the skull (8 cranial bones and 14 facial bones), excluding the middle ear ossicles.
Eight cranial bones:
- occipital bone
- two temporal bones
- two parietal bones
- sphenoid bone
- ethmoid bone
- frontal bone
Fourteen facial bones:
- vomer
- two conchae
- two nasal bones
- two maxillae (some sources count the maxilla as one bone)
- mandible
- two palatine bones
- two zygomatic bones
- two lacrimal bones
Answer: (D). 8
As you can imagine, this information is universal. You and your friend are made up of the same skeletal structure. So let’s remember this small portion of head and neck anatomy for the dental hygiene boards. As the founder of StudentRDH is always introducing the WakeUp Memory Technique (WMT) to help you remember everything better (because the boards are super demanding).
Wake Up Memory Technique for the dental hygiene boards
When you have a headache, where do you usually feel it? Around your face or around the upper part of your head? Let’s assume we all feel pain in the upper parts of the skull. That corresponds to the cranium (not the face). Now let’s imagine this headache again and start feeling the PAIN. Among number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, pain sounds closest to the way you pronounce “eight.” This leads you to know that there are eight cranial bones.
Creating memory tips is NOT easy. See how far we had to think to remember 8 cranial bones? But the good news is that once you start utilizing this method used by memory champions and ancient intellectuals, you can re-use the method in everything you do – names, phone numbers, anatomy, bacteria, etc.
At StudentRDH, we just to help you achieve your goals for the Dental Hygiene Board Exams (NBDHE, NDHCE, CSCE, Local anesthesia, CRDTS, ++)! Email me anytime at clairej@studentRDH.com!
Related post in Head and Neck Anatomy: Muscles of mastication
(Disclaimer: StudentRDH is NOT affiliated with the NBDHE, NDHCE, CSCE, CDCA, WREB.)
