One of the reasons why people feel anxious when going to the dentist is the tools that they use. Most dentist office tools do not look like the tools that you might use at home. When your dentist picks up something that looks like a drill, you understandably get nervous. However, tools at the dentist office only look intimidating, but you have nothing to fear from them. To help you prepare for the next visit, here are a few dentist tools that you should know about.
Sickle Probes/Dental Explorer
Sickle probes, also referred to as dental explorers, are designed to let your dentist find sensitive areas on each tooth. This is how cavities used to be found, by poking for soft or painful spots. Many dentists still use the dental explorer to find areas that hurt or that cause you discomfort.
If you feel like something is wrong with your teeth, or if you experience discomfort such as soreness, numbness, and pain, the dentist will use this device to explore your tooth and gums.
The probe can identify soft spots on the tooth roots which may indicate an infection. The probe is also useful for cleaning out deep pockets around the teeth. It can also be used to perform precision shaping on the teeth and gums when fixing teeth or placing implants.
Oral Scalers
Oral scalers are used to scrape tartar and other debris off of your teeth that brushes are not strong enough to remove. They can also be used to help clean under the gum line. The tip is made up of small teeth that help in scaling the tooth enamel to remove the tartar buildup on your teeth. Oscillating or tooth whitening scalers are used to clean tartar buildup between teeth and under the gum line. Be sure to ask your dentist if they can suggest something for you to use at home so you don’t have to go back again.
Curette
Curettes are used to scrape or dig out material from between teeth or inside gums. They are also used to dig between the teeth for better access. When dentists use them, they can be used to remove food stuck between teeth.
Dental Drill
Although it may scare you, the dental drill is just a tool that your dentist uses to chip away at pieces of teeth or dental cement that need to be removed. It’s not as painful as it seems, and you don’t feel anything when they use it.
In most cases, it is used to reshape molds, dental implants, or dental cement used to hold them in place. In some cases, it can be used on your tooth. However, this only happens if the tooth is dead, needs to be reshaped or removed, and you won’t feel pain in the process.
The dentist will also use this tool for other things like drilling holes into the tooth to fit in fillings or crowns or to remove decayed portions of teeth or fill cavities. They can also be used to clean the roots of teeth.
X-Rays
X-Rays are a common tool used at the dentist office. They are most commonly used to help dentists diagnose problems in a patient’s teeth and jaw. X-Rays show areas of decay in between teeth and around the gum line as well as show the condition of teeth when preparing for a procedure like a root canal or braces. While sometimes annoying, there’s nothing to fear here! X-Rays are painless and incredibly common in dental offices.
Make An Appointment with Our Dentist Office
Although some of your dentist’s tools look scary, they are all designed to give you a better tooth clean than you can get at home. Don’t be scared of your dentist and make sure that you visit at least once per year.
Make sure that your teeth are well taken care of by visiting the dentist at least once per year. Contact our dentist office in Boynton Beach, FL, Eriks Dental Group, to schedule an appointment and see how their teeth are developing.