Facts About the Geometric Instruments Dental Hygienists Use

Dental hygienists are the people in dental offices who spend the most time with patients. Dental hygienists remove buildup on the teeth before the dentist sees the patients. Hygienists also often take X-rays or impressions of patients' teeth. Their primary tools are the hand mirror and probe. Even the most infrequent dental visitors likely have experience with these two geometric tools.

Significance

• The standard mouth mirror design has a long handle and a rounded mirror on the end. The mirror's purpose is to allow the hygienist to see into the patient's mouth without craning. The mirror's handle comes in various lengths and angles to assist with all holding preferences. The contra-angled probe has a hook-like shape allowing the hygienist to scrape buildup from patient's teeth.

Potential

• Hand mirrors typically are rounded, though some models have five or more sides. Many mirrors are one-sided, but two-sided models are available as well. Probes come with a curve on the end, though the curvature can range from a hook-like curve to one that forms a 45-degree angle or less with the handle.

Warning

• The wrong angle of a probe can cause pain or damage to the patient's gum. With practice, a hygienist should be able to select the right probe for each patient. Some sickle probes work well for cleaning teeth while others are better suited to examining them.