What Are the Different Types of Medical Probe?

A dental probe is a dental medical device that performs an inspection (such as the depth and size of the cavity, the root canal state, and the gum state) in the oral cavity during oral treatment.

Chinese name: Dental probe
Foreign name: Dental Explorers

Category Name: Oral needle
Management category: Class I medical devices

Basic structure of dental probe

handle
The part to be held, usually with surface texture treatment, is good for holding;
Working rod
Connecting the rod-shaped part between the handle and the working end, the working rod is divided into a simple working rod (straight type) and a complex working rod (two bends) according to its bending, which lengthens the length of the working end so that it can be correctly placed on different teeth Bit root surface
Working end
The part that acts on the tooth surface or root surface to achieve the function is connected to the working rod. According to the different functions of the instrument, the working end is either smoother or sharper, with or without a cutting edge, and has one or both sides of the working end ^[1] .

basic structure

How to use a dental probe

Generally, a modified grip method is used. The thumb and forefinger hold the handle, the middle finger belly is against the working rod, and the middle finger and the ring finger are closely attached together as a fulcrum. When you use it, you must "three leave":

Keep the instrument away
The fulcrum is not detached;
Middle finger ring finger inseparable.

Compared with the traditional pen-holding method, the improved pen-holding method can obtain a larger instrument working range, and it can also control the working end more accurately to obtain a better feel ^[1] .

Clinical role of dental probe

Detect periodontal pocket depth, whether to detect bleeding, keratinized gingival width, gingival thickness, interdental width, tooth looseness, lesion size, etc.

Dental probe classification

Periodontal probe
A periodontal probe is a type of periodontal instrument, similar to a miniature ruler, in millimeters. It is mainly used to detect and measure periodontal pockets and attachment levels, and to evaluate gum exploration bleeding and pus. The tip is a blunt tip, the tip diameter is about 0.5mm, and the scale is marked on the probe. The graduated ends are flat. The first generation of periodontal probes: common blunt-ended periodontal probes with millimeter scale; the second generation of periodontal probes: pressure-sensitive periodontal probes; the third generation of periodontal probes: pressure-sensitive electronics connected to a computer Periodontal probe.
Calculus probe
Dental calculus is calcified or calcified plaque deposits deposited on the tooth surface or the surface of the restoration, and its surface is covered with a large amount of calcified plaque. According to the place where it is deposited, the upper gingival margin is referred to as the upper gingival calculus, and the lower gingival margin is referred to as the subgingival calculus. The upper gingival calculus on the clinical crown can be seen directly by the naked eye, while the distribution of the subgingival calculus needs to be explored with the help of tartar probes.
The calculus probe can detect not only calculus deposition, but also irregular tooth surfaces and the edges of restorations. The real role of calculus probes is not to detect calculus with a specific method, but to touch the tip of the probe tip against the root surface to touch the object. When the probe tip passes over the rough calculus, it will vibrate. The needle tip is transmitted to the handle through the instrument shaft to detect calculus.
Root bifurcation probe
Root bifurcation probes are also called root bifurcation probes. Root bifurcation is the area where the roots of multiple teeth are separated. Two teeth correspond to two furcations, and three teeth correspond to three furcations. Root bifurcation probes are special periodontal probes designed to evaluate bone support in the bifurcation area. The root bifurcation probe has a curved and blunt working end, which can easily penetrate into the root bifurcation area without stabbing soft tissue. Clinically, a curved root bifurcation probe (Nabers root bifurcation probe) with a 3-6-9-12mm graduated grade is used for exploration. When in use, it also adopts a modified grip type. The end handle of the working end is parallel to the long axis of the tooth surface.
CPI (Community Periodontal Index) Probe
The tip of the probe is a small ball with a diameter of 0.5mm. It is a black smeared area at 3.5 to 5.5mm from the top, and there are two loop lines at 8.5mm and 11.5mm from the top. CPI examination is to check the three items of gingival bleeding, calculus and periodontal pocket depth on the index teeth.
Florida probe
The third generation periodontal probe consists of a probe tip, a handle, a foot switch, and a computer system. It uses a linear transducer to transmit information; the diameter of the tip is 0.4 mm, and the diameters of the 5 mm and 10 mm graduations are 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm; the exploratory strength is 0.2 N, which is 159 N / cm2. Can detect plaque, location of gingival margin, periodontal pocket, loss of attachment, looseness, exploration of bleeding, root bifurcation lesions, etc., and draw it into a table. At the same time, the patient's condition can be diagnosed and risk assessed based on the results. The same indicators can be measured during follow-up Before and after comparison, assess the outcome of the disease.
Florida probe can effectively improve work efficiency and reduce subjective and objective errors. A number of studies at home and abroad have shown that Florida probes are more repeatable than handheld probes, and can maintain constant pressure, so that the probe tip can stop at the epithelium during inspection, which not only reduces the damage to periodontal tissue during inspection, but also Can reduce the pain of patients; on the other hand, there are literatures that require higher sensitivity to explore around the implant, and the working end of the Florida probe is made of titanium alloy, so it also has an advantage in the examination around the implant; Animal experiments by scholars have shown that the Florida probe can stop binding to epithelium in healthy periodontal tissues with an average error of -0.05 mm. In the peri-implantitis group, the probe exceeded the connective tissue level by an average of 0.52 mm. However, the Florida probe also has disadvantages. In operation, the sensitivity is not as good as that of the handheld probe, and the subgingival tartar can obviously interfere with the further penetration of the probe ^[1] .

Factors affecting the accuracy of dental probe detection

Tartar barrier
The size of the probe
Anatomical conditions (such as the shape of the tooth surface), which limit the angle of exploration or placement;
Grading of periodontal probes;
Pressure applied during a visit;
The extent of soft tissue inflammatory cell infiltration and the associated loss of collagen fibers;
Subjective factors of the measurer. The measurement error caused by factors such as the size of the probe, the shape of the tooth surface, the incorrect angle, and the grading of the probe scale can be reduced by selecting standard equipment, correct and detailed operations, and even avoided ^[1] .

Dental Probe Performance Index

The material of the working tip of the dental probe is martensitic stainless steel;
When the tip material is martensitic stainless steel, its Vickers hardness reaches between 500 HV1 and 650 HV1;
Dental probes have certain corrosion resistance and heat resistance;
The surface of all dental probes should be free of pores, cracks, abrasions, peeling residues, acid marks, oil stains, and grinding and polishing residues under visual inspection ^[2] .