Sorry for not knowing what they’re called, but they’re like little metal hooks for getting rid of plaque. I told my dentist that two of my teeth were really sensitive when I eat sweets, and he started pressing on them with the hook. He said they were fine. What are they doing when they do that?
In: Other
If you have tooth decay then the hook will stick in your softened tooth. That’s how they check for decay.
It sounds like your dentist is trying to narrow down where the pain is originating from to see if there is an underlying infection below the gums.
I had to have a root canal recently, and he did this to pinpoint the source for the pain so that he got the correct tooth. Turns out I had an infection, which caused the bone to break down.
He also could be looking for cracks in the tooth, or nerve exposure, due to receding gums or enamel that has gone. They also use these tools to measure the depth of the recession.
Checking for cavities and holes in your teeth. Being sensitive like you described is one symptom of a cavity.
There’s a few different tools they use. They have robust hooks with hard angles to scrape away plaque. There’s another that has a hook with a thin straight end to it which is what they use to test for cavities. They press it into your tooth to see if
1 it causes discomfort or
2 it “sticks” in a cavity for lack of a better term when they pull the tool away
Cavities leave a bit of a rough surface and traps stuff in them which let’s the hook stick in the cavity.
My grandpa was my dentist growing up and always answered our questions about his tools when we went in
Do you have some information they need?
Like “Is it safe?”
Latest Answers