Logical reasoning PrepTest 149 · Section 4 · Question 1

Incorrect. Even if it contains far less sugar, it still contains sugar, which can lead to cavities. This answer may suggest why chewing gum is better than eating a meal, but it doesn't explain why it should be used to protect your teeth when you can't brush.

Incorrect. Even if any damage gum does can be spotted and reversed, it still doesn't explain why the dentist is recommending chewing it when you can't brush.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Recommendation 1: Brush after meals to remove sugars that can cause cavities.
Recommendation 2: When you can't brush, chew gum to prevent cavities, even if it has sugar.

Answer Anticipation:
We need to reconcile these recommendations, which seem paradoxical because the dentist wants you to brush to remove sugar but chew sugary gum when not possible. The reasons behind brushing are laid out clearly—it removes sugar, which decreases bacterial growth, which lowers acid levels, which prevents the dissolution of enamel. However, the chewing of gum isn't laid out at all, so it's likely the correct answer will establish a means by which chewing gum prevents some of these issues, even if it does contain sugar.

It could also take a less turn and bring up another way that gum prevents cavities, but that's less likely as Paradox questions generally bring the information from the stimulus together.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects gum to some of the other benefits of brushing. While it may have sugar, it also reduces acidity (a cause of cavities) and remineralize teeth (another part of the causal chain behind cavities).

Key Takeaway:
For Paradox questions, it's important to be super clear on what the Paradox is. Here, if you simply thought you needed an answer to justify the recommendation to chew gum, (E) looks pretty good. That's not the paradox, however, and taking a few extra seconds to get that clear before heading to the answer choices would prevent some time spent deciding between (C) and (E).

Incorrect. If anything, this calls both of the dentist's recommendations into question—if you can wait a bit to brush, there's no need to brush immediately after a meal or find a substitute if you can't brush.

Incorrect. While this may explain why the dentist would recommend gum chewing, it doesn't explain why she's recommending it "to prevent the formation of cavities," which was the piece of information creating the paradox.