probing technique

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Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Probing Concepts

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• Probing: the act of walking the tip of a probe along the base of a sulcus or pocket for the purpose of assessing the health status of the periodontal tissues

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Walking Stroke

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Probe Walking Stroke

• Walking stroke: a series of bobbing strokes that are made within the sulcus or pocket while keeping the probe tip against the tooth surface

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Production of Walking Strokes

1. Insert the probe and lightly run the tip along the tooth surface until it encounters the soft tissue base of the sulcus or pocket.

• The junctional epithelium that forms the base of a sulcus or pocket feels soft and flexible when touched with the probe tip.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Production of Walking Strokes

2. Create a walking stroke by moving the probe tip up and down in short bobbing strokes.

3. Move forward in 1 mm increments.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Production of Walking Strokes

• The probe is NOT removed from the sulcus with each stroke.

• Repeatedly removing the probe can traumatize the tissue.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Stroke Pressure

• A pressure exerted with the probe tip against the soft tissue base of the sulcus or pocket should be between 10 and 20 grams.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Calibrate with a Scale

• Standardize your probing pressure by practicing on a scale that measures weight in grams.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Adaptation of Probe Tip

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Probe Tip

• The Probe tip is 1 to 2 mm of the side of the probe.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• The probe tip is kept in contact with the tooth surface throughout the walking stroke.

Adaptation of Probe Tip

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Incorrect Adaptation

• The probe tip should NOT be held away from the tooth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Parallelism

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• The probe is positioned as parallel as possible to the tooth surface.

• The probe must be parallel in the mesiodistal dimension and the faciolingual dimension.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Probe Parallel to Long Axis

• This probe is correctly positioned parallel to the long axis of the tooth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Incorrect Technique

• This probe is incorrectly positioned.

• It is not parallel to the long axis of the tooth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Walk Around the Entire Tooth

Bob along that soft tissue base all around the tooth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• Walking strokes with the probe should cover the entire circumference of the sulcus or pocket base.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Depths Vary in a Single Area

• It is common for the depth of a pocket to be deeper in one place.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Walk the Entire Circumference

• Walk around the entire circumference to avoid missing a deeper area.

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Measurements

How are measurements recorded?

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Measurements Recorded

• Measurements are recorded for 6 specific sites on each tooth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Record the Deepest Measurement

• In this example, the deepest reading would be recorded for the facial reading.

• That reading is the one taken at point C.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Taking Readings on the Mesial and Distal Surfaces

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• When two teeth are in contact—side by side—a special technique is used to probe the area directly beneath the contact area.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Interproximal Readings

• It is impossible to probe the base of the sulcus that is directly under the contact area.

• The probe cannot fit between two adjacent teeth.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• A two step technique is used to probe the mesial and distal surfaces.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Step 1: Touch the Contact Area

• Walk the probe between the teeth until it touches the contact area.

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

• Slant the probe slightly so that the tip reaches under the contact area.

• In this position, gently press downward to touch the soft tissue base.

Step 2: Tilt the Probe

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Probing Maxillary MolarsA tight fit!

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Mandible Gets in the Way

• It can be difficult to probe the distal surfaces of the maxillary molars because the mandible gets in the way.

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• Reposition the instrument handle to the side of the patient’s face to reach the distal surfaces of the maxillary molars.

Solution

Copyright © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Recap

• A very careful, precise technique is used to assess the depths of a sulcus or pocket.

• Use of the walking stroke, correct adaptation, and parallelism are all important.

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