S3 Basic Dental Hygiene Instruments

Mouth mirror

Metal round instrument used for indirect vision, indirect illumination, transillumination, and retraction.

Explorers

Thin wire instruments used to detect tooth surface texture, calculus, irregularities, and restoration defects.

Periodontal probe

Thin, round instrument with measurement markings used to measure bone loss or pockets.

Scaler

Rigid bladed instrument used to remove supragingival calculus.

Curet

Rigid bladed instrument used to remove supra and subgingival calculus and biofilm.

Instruments used for a periodontal examination

Periodontal probes.

Spaulding classification

Organizes infection transmission risk based on the patient tissue the device contacts during use.

Critical instruments (Spaulding classification)

Probes, explorer, and scalers/curets.

Semi-critical instruments (Spaulding classification)

Mirrors.

Parts of dental hygiene instruments

Terminal shank, lateral surfaces tip or toe, functional shank, and handle.