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?
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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.
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