In his work, the dentist uses a hugenumber of instruments, including a dental probe. This tool allows you to diagnose the condition of hard dental tissues, as well as gums. There are many modifications of it, which differ from each other by the structure, size and material of which it is made. The best material for this tool is stainless steel.
Dental probe functions
A dental probe is one of the main tools used by practicing dentists. It is multifunctional and is used during each operational procedure.
The main functions performed by the dental probe:
- Investigation of tooth decay caries.
- Determination of the condition of the fissures (depression in the enamel layer of the chewing surface of the tooth, which is located between the mounds), namely, their depth and pain.
- Determination of the nature of the softening of dental tissue.
- Identification of messages between the cavity of the tooth and the carious cavity.
- Determination of root canal root openings, presence of periodontal canals and their depth.
There is another purpose for which the probe is used. Dental instruments of this form help to bring a medicine into the cavity of a tooth or gum pocket.
Toolkit classification
There are many different kindsdental probe, each of which is used with a specific purpose. In general, it is a thin rod, the main material is stainless steel. Use it only with a dental mirror.
There are two main types of dental probes:
- Angular.The main purpose with which it is used is the study of the carious cavity, namely its identification and determination of depth. In some cases, it may be necessary to clarify the presence and condition of the root canals, fissures.
- Periodontal. Used to study periodontal pockets.
Other classifications are used:
- Based on the shape of the working part: straight, curved.
- Depending on the degree of sharpening of the working part: pointed, blunted.
- According to the functionality of the tool: one-sided, two-sided.
Depending on the purpose of use, the dental probe is divided into:
- crescent is used to study the separation of the roots of multi-rooted teeth;
- spiky helps to identify carious cavities and other major health problems of the tooth;
- bellied periodontal probe whichhas linear divisions - the main purpose of using it is related to measuring the depth of periodontal pockets, determining the degree of root exposure, the level of gingival surface change relative to the tooth surface (the latter leads to root exposure), the study of the fistulous course, expansion of the excretory ducts of the salivary glands.
Many diagnostic probes havespecial marking. As a rule, it depends on the type of instrument and the manufacturer. The most popular is the marking in 1 mm and 3 mm. This allows you to diagnose the normal state of periodontal pockets (the norm is not more than 3 mm).
How does a dentist choose a tool?
For high-quality patient dental treatmentThe dentist is responsible for the choice of instrument. The main criteria are the purpose of the procedure, flexibility and sensitivity of the material. However, there are other factors that influence the choice:
- the appearance of the probe;
- ergonomics, in particular its weight, slip, the way the tool lies in the hand;
- needle functionality (working part of the probe);
- durability, corrosion resistance.
Diagnostic probe requirements
There is a huge amount of dentalprobes from different manufacturers, but their choice should be based on the requirements for manual dental instruments. These requirements are:
- providing high quality treatment and therapeutic manipulations;
- providing convenience to the patient during the execution of medical dental procedures;
- providing convenience to the dentist during the performance of professional duties.
Only a quality and sterile instrument can prevent the penetration of the infection and ensure a high level of treatment.
Features of the use of dental probe
Для поддержания точности проведения диагностики proper dental probe usage is required. For this, the tool tip is placed with a slight pressure in the gingival sulcus. It is an area of potential cavity between the tooth and the adjacent tissue. It is very important to hold the probe parallel to the contour of the root of the tooth when conducting diagnostics, after which it should be inserted down to the bottom of the pocket. As a result, the tip of the tool goes deep.
At the tip of the dental probe is availablegradation, so that the doctor can determine the depth of the pocket. Normally, it is 3 mm, while during the examination there is no bleeding.
Pocket depth greater than 3 mm happens if there is a loss of attachment of the tooth to the alveolar bone - a symptom of periodontitis or gingival hyperplasia.
A curved dental probe is used with another purpose, for example, for the introduction of drugs into the cavity of the tooth during restorative procedures, gum recession.
Professional oral hygiene procedureIt is performed under local anesthesia and includes plotting. Probing involves inserting a probe into the gingival sulcus and determining its depth in millimeters.
Bleeding while using dental probe
При наличии заболеваний в ротовой полости, даже pressing the instrument lightly is enough to cause bleeding. This is primarily due to the fact that damaged blood vessels that are too close to the surface of the connective epithelium. This symptom is very important in the diagnosis of dental diseases. However, a dental corner probe can cause bleeding in other cases, for example, due to an individual feature. However, if the patient smokes, there may be no bleeding.
