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Do the ball-ended probe cause less damage than sharp explorers?-An ultrastructural analysis.
Juliana Mattos-Silveira1, Marina Monreal Oliveira1, Ronilza Matos2,3
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dental School, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Lineu Prestes, 2227, 05508-000, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
BMC Oral Health
|March 23, 2016
Summary
Ball-ended probes cause less tooth surface damage than sharp explorers during tactile examinations of primary teeth. This finding is crucial for gentle dental assessments and minimizing iatrogenic effects.
Area of Science:
- Dental materials science
- Pediatric dentistry
- Diagnostic techniques
Background:
- Limited evidence exists on iatrogenic damage from ball-ended probes on teeth.
- No studies have compared probing defects from ball-ended probes versus sharp explorers in primary teeth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the ultrastructural defects caused by ball-ended probes and sharp explorers during tactile examination of primary teeth.
Main Methods:
- Extracted primary teeth were examined using both ball-ended probes and sharp explorers.
- Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) captured images before and after probing.
- Damage was scored by independent examiners, and statistical analysis was performed using multilevel Poisson regression.
Main Results:
- The most frequent defects were probing marks without discontinuity.
- Ball-ended probes resulted in significantly less severe damage compared to sharp explorers (PR: 0.28; CI: 0.11-0.76, p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Gentle probing with ball-ended probes causes less ultrastructural damage to primary tooth surfaces than sharp explorers.