Dental Hygiene Instrumentation: Pre-Clinical Foundations
The Probe
Worksheet
Name: _____________________________
Are you a “Righty” or a “Lefty”? (circle one)
Directions: Please view the Probing powerpoint in its entirety. Then watch the video. You are now ready to begin the
Probing Worksheet. Please attach your typodont onto the manikin head and begin.
1. What is the purpose of the Periodontal Probe? The purpose of the periodontal probe is to take measurements of the
periodontium. Types of periodontal measurements: depth of the periodontal pocket, mucogingival readings,
recession
2. What identifying characteristics did you use to determine which of the instruments in your cassette is the Probe?
The periodontal instrument is the only instrument that does do have some sort of working ‘foot’- meaning there is no
‘toe’ or ‘heel’ of the instrument. Characteristically the periodontal probe contains markings on it that are used for
measurement.
3. When using the Probe, the “initial point of insertion” in any particular quadrant is always where? Distal line angle
4. The following questions refer to the upper right quadrant, buccal surfaces/upper left quadrant, buccal surfaces for
lefties:
a. What is the clinician’s clock position? (posterior) 10-11-12:00(anterior)/(anterior)12-1-2:00 (posterior for
lefties
b. What position is the patient’s head turned? Right __√ (lefties)_
Left ___√ (righties)___ Neutral ____
c. Is the patient’s chin tilted up or down? _______________Up___________________________
d. Is it necessary to use suction in this area? Yes _________
No ____√__
If so, where would
the suction be placed in the patient’s mouth? If needed, the suction should be placed on the left side in the
buccal vestibule./suction should be placed in the vestibule on the right side for lefties
e. How is the overhead light positioned? The light should be positioned above the patient’s abdomen angled
towards the head
f. What tooth/surface will your fulcrum finger rest on? Placement of the fulcrum finger can be anywhere on
#3-6,7 for the right handed clinician/placement of the fulcrum finger should be on #10-14 for the left handed
clinician.
5. Let’s begin to probe~
a. Insert the probe at the distal buccal line angle of #2 (Skip #1 for now- too far back!!!)
a. Lefties- please insert the probe at the distal buccal line angle of #14:
b. Very slowly, push the probe up into the sulcus till you feel the epithelial junction (should
feel a resistence).
i. As you push the probe up into the sulcus, pivot on your fulcrum finger so that you
can adapt the point of the probe to the contours of the tooth. It should feel like you are
moving the probe over a bulge and then back down- like going up and over a hill
and then back down again.
c. When you reach the epithelial junction- look at the readings on the probe- what is it? _____________
(Power point slides 24- 28 review How to Read the Probe)
d. Pull out and move slightly more distal, reinsert into the sulcus and gently push apical till
you reach the epithelial junction again. Take note of this new reading.
e. Continue with this ‘bobbing’ stroke until the shank of the probe hits the contact point.
f. Now, angle the probe so that the tip begins to move completely into the distal ‘col’ area. The probe shank
should no longer look ‘parallel to the long axis of the tooth.
(Power point slides #20- 22 review Probing into the Col area)
***Take note of the blue circle that appears on the video as the probe moves into the col area.
g. Straighten the shank, without moving the tip, till the shank hits the contact point. Read this
reading.
h. What was the deepest reading on the distal surface? ___________________________________
i. Without pulling completely out, begin to ‘bob’ back out of the col towards the Distal Line angle.
j. Continue past the line angle and ‘bob’ to the mesial line angle. Take note of your wrist, is pivoting on its
fulcrum? Are your shoulders relaxed and down? What was the deepest reading? ____________________
k. Complete the last surface- Mesial, by ‘bobbing’ in and out of the sulcus until the shank of the probe reaches
the contact point. Once again, angle tip towards the col and straighten shank up close to the contact point.
What was the deepest reading? ________
l. Continue probing the rest of the teeth in the upper right quadrant (upper left for Lefties), recording distal
surface readings first, then buccal and then mesial surfaces of each tooth before moving on to the next
tooth. You should always begin with the most posterior tooth and move anterior.
I. When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Maxillary Right Quadrant, Buccal surfaces:
Lefties- Left Quadrant, Buccal surfaces:
Instructor initials: _____________________________
II. Complete probing the Maxillary Right Quad. LINGUAL surfaces, starting with the DL of #2
Maxillary Left Quad. Lingual for Lefties, starting with DL of #14
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? -_____11:00/1:00______
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one)
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Right _ _√ (lefties)_ Left _√ (righties)_
Direct ________
Indirect ____√ _____
iv. Where is the suction? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth ___√ _ In the patient’s mouth ___
When you are comfortable with the technique, please demonstrate to faculty the
Maxillary Right Quadrant Lingual surfaces:.
Left Quadrant Lingual surfaces for Lefties:
Instructor initials: ___________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
III. Complete probing the Maxillary Left Quad. Buccal surfaces starting with the DB of #15:
Maxillary Right Quad. Buccal and for Lefties, starting with #2:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? ______________________11:00/1:00______
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one) Right ____√ (righties)___ Left ___√ (Lefties)__
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Direct _____√ __
Indirect ________
iv. Where is the suction ? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth __√ (don’t absolutely need it)_ In the
patient’s mouth _____
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Maxillary Left Quadrant, Buccal surfaces:
Maxillary Right Quad., Buccal surfaces for Lefties:
Instructor initials: ______________________
IV. Complete probing the Maxillary Left Quad. Lingual surfaces starting with the DB of #15:
Maxillary Right Quad. Lingual for Lefties, starting with #2:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? _______________________________________
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one) Right _√ (righties)
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Left __√ (lefties)______
Direct ________
Indirect __√______
iv. Where is the suction ? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth ___√ (don’t absolutely need it)_ __
In the patient’s mouth __optional___
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Maxillary Left Quadrant, Lingual surfaces:
Maxillary Right Quad., Lingual surfaces for Lefties:
Instructor initials: ______________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
V. Complete probing the Mandibular Right Quad. Buccal surfaces starting with #31:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? ___10-11:00/1:00_____________________________
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one)
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Right ________
Direct __√______
Left ___√___
Indirect __________
iv. Where is the suction ? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth ____ In the patient’s mouth _√ (left
vestibule)__
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Mandibular Right Quadrant, Buccal surfaces:
Instructor initials: _______________
VI. Complete probing the Mandibular Right Quad. Linguals surfaces starting with #31:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? ______11:00/1-2:00 (lefties ____________________
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one)
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Right __√______
Direct _√_______
Left __________
Indirect __________
iv. Where is the suction ? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth ____ In the patient’s mouth _√ (right
vestibule)__
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Mandibular Right Quadrant, Lingual surfaces:
Instructor initials: _______________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VII. Complete probing the Mandibular Left Quad. Buccal surfaces starting with #18:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? 11:00/1:00 (lefties)
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one)
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Right ___√____
Direct __√______
Left __________
Indirect __________
iv. Where is the suction ? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth _ In the patient’s mouth __√ (right
vestibule)____
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Mandibular Left Quadrant, Buccal surfaces:
Instructor initials: _______________
VIII. Complete probing the Mandibular Left Quad. Lingual surfaces starting with #18:
i.
What is the clinician’s clock position? ___10-11:00/1-2:00 (lefties)_________________
ii. Which way is the patient’s head turned? (√ one) Right _ ______Left ___√___
iii. What type of vision are you using? (√ one)
Direct _√ _______
Indirect __________
iv. Where is the suction? (√ one) Not in the patient’s mouth In the patient’s mouth √ (left
vestibule)___
When you are comfortable with the technique, demonstrate probing of the
Mandibular Left Quadrant, Lingual surfaces:
Instructor initials: _______________