Effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces - A scanning electron microscopy evaluation

The aim of this clinical-morphological study was to investigate the
effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces by scanning electron
microscopy (SEM). Twenty sound occlusal surfaces of third molars
and 20 teeth with initial carious lesions of 17- to 26-year-old
patients (n = 18) were involved. Ten molars of each group were
probed with a sharp dental probe (No. 23) before extraction; the
other molars served as negative controls. After extraction of the
teeth, the crowns were separated and prepared for the SEM study.
Probing-related surface defects, enlargements and break-offs of
occlusal pits and fissures were observed on all occlusal surfaces
with initial carious lesions and on 2 sound surfaces, respectively.
No traumatic defects whatsoever were visible on unprobed occlusal
surfaces. This investigation confirms findings of light-microscopic
studies that using a sharp dental probe for occlusal caries
detection causes enamel defects. Therefore, dental probing should
be considered as an inappropriate procedure and should be replaced
by a meticulous visual inspection. Critical views of tactile caries
detection methods with a sharp dental probe as a diagnostic tool
seem to be inevitable in undergraduate and postgraduate dental
education programmes. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.