Explorers Flashcards
Basic instruments for examination
Mouth mirror
Sub gingival explorer
Problems: furcation probe, plastic probe
General purposes and uses of explorers
Detect by tactile since the texture and character of the tooth surface
Defined the extent of instrumentation needed and guide techniques
Evaluate the completeness of treatment
Use of sub gingival explorers
Use is facilitated by an angulated shank with a short tip
Features for sub gingival examination
- Back of tip can be applied directly to the base of the pocket without trauma or laceration
- Short tip can be adapted to rounded tooth surfaces and line angles
- Narrow short tip can be adapted at the base where the pocket narrows without undue displacement of the pocket soft tissue wall
Shepherd hook explorer
Used for examining pits and fishers and supragingival smooth surfaces
Also used an examining surfaces and margins of restorations and sealants
Pigtail or cowhorn
Used on proximal surfaces for calculus, dental caries or margins of restorations in normal shallow pockets
As paired, curved tips, they are applied to opposite tooth surfaces
Disadvantages of pigtail and cowhorn explorers
Curved lower shank causes stretching of the tissue away from the root surface
Orban type explorer design
Tip is bent at 90° to the lower shank, lower shank is straight
Advantages: sub gingival calculus detection on anterior root surfaces
- sub gingival calculus detection on facial and lingual root surfaces of posterior teeth
Disadvantages: straight shank, difficult to use on the line angles, mesial and distal services of posterior teeth
11/12 Type explorer design
Excellent for anterior and posterior teeth
Smooth the back of tip is in contact with soft tissue base of sulcus or pocket
Complex shank makes it easy to reach root surfaces of anterior and posterior teeth
Tooth surface irregularities: 3 Basic tactile sensations
- normal tooth surface
- irregularities created by excess or elevations in the surface
- irregularities caused by depression in the tooth surface
Normal tooth surface
- Root and enamel surface are smooth
- Restored surface margins are smooth. Smooth surface of metal versus the feeling of composite
Irregularities: elevations on tooth surface
Calculus deposits, enamel pearl, over contoured and irregular margins on restorations
Irregularities: depression and grooves
Demineralized or Karius lesion, abrasion, erosion, pits such as those caused by enamel hypoplasia, areas of Simental resorption on the root surface
Deficient margin or rough surface on restorations
What is an assessment stroke
Used to detect calculus deposits or other tooth surface irregularities
“ exploratory stroke”
What is tactile sensitivity
Ability to detect tooth irregularities, such as calculus deposits, my feeling vibrations transferred from the explorer tip to the instrument shank and handle
Errors in exploring
- Avoid a firm, tense, death grip
- Avoid applying pressure with the middle finger against the shank
- These errors reduce tactile information to the fingers
- Do not remove explorer from the sulcus or pocket as you make an upward stroke. Keep tip beneath gingival margin
Good technique
Keep tip in contact with route surface as you move across the tooth
Keep strokes short
Make a mini overlapping, multi directional strokes to assess the entire root surface
Steps for exploring anterior teeth
1- place working end and get ready zone in middle third of crown
2-slide tip along tooth surface and gently insert beneath gingival margin. Make series of feather light strokes across facial surface
3- Roll instrument handle as you approach the mesiofacial line angle
4- Explore mesial service
Selecting the correct working end
Tip is at 90° angle to lower shank. Only the terminal 2 mm of the side tip is adapted to the tooth surface
Working and curves inward toward the facial surface, wraps around facial surface
Incorrect working end
Curves outward away from facial surface
Identifying the correct working end for exploring posterior teeth
Use premolar. Observe relationship of lower shank to the distal surface. Lower shank is parallel to distal surface, functional shank goes up and over the tooth
Posterior tooth surface sequence
- Start at the distofacial line and work backward to the distal surface
- Gently insert beneath gingival margin and make feather light strokes toward distal surface
- Roll instrument handle as you approach distal surface. Explore distal surface then flip tool and begin exploration toward mesial surface , Rolling instrument handle as you approach me see your facial line angle
Identification of supragingival deposits
Located coronal to gingival margin
Identification of sub gingival deposits
Hidden beneath gingival margin. Built up layer by layer slowly over time
