1. (Lets’ explore the possibilities!)
The Explorer
(Lets’ explore the possibilities!)

2. Types of Explorers: Straight Explorer Shepherd Hook Explorer
Orban or #17/18 Explorer
Pigstail or Cowshorn Explorer

3. Explorers that you will use here at UMB.
ODU 11/12 Explorer

4. General Design and Characteristics:
Foot of instrument

5. Explorer TIP:

7. Explorer SHANK:
Or ‘Terminal shank’

8. Choosing the Correct WORKING END:

9. Now- let’s move to the Anterior Teeth:

10. #17 Explorer for ANTERIOR TEETH
Insert so that terminal shank is parallel to the long axis of the Instrument tip should point down towards the sulcus.
Here the terminal
shank is parallel to
line angle.

11. Start at the Red dotted line (“Line angle”) furthest away from you and walk towards the contact.
That means (for Maxillary teeth):
Righties start with the ‘distal’ of #11 (upper left canine).
Lefties start with the ‘distal’ of #6 (upper right canine).

12. (What is your clock position for the Anterior teeth?)
That means (for Mandibular teeth):
Righties start with the ‘distal’ of #22 (lower left canine).
Lefties start with the ‘distal’ of #27 (lower right canine).

13. Exploring the Posterior Teeth:
Insert at distal
line angle

14. Right from Wrong: Right Wrong Why is this one wrong?
Terminal shank is not parallel to long axis of the tooth!

15. Shank should be a little straighter so that tip points downward into the sulcus.

16. After walking the length of the distal surface- pull explorer out of sulcus and roll instrument till tip points towards the mesial surface.
Reinsert at the Distal line angle a walk mesially.

17. Walk explorer to the mesial line angle:
Tip of instrument points down into sulcus-
this means the terminal shank will now be
“oblique”.
Terminal shank will
straighten up at the
Mesial line angle

18. Sequence for posterior sextants:

19. * * Probing Sequence (per quadrant): For Right Handed Clinicians:
(limited radius)
Midline *
For Right Handed Clinicians:
Area
Patient’s Head
Clock Position
UR and LR Buccal
(Anteriors)
Left
(Neutral)
10:00-11:00
12:00 (Anteriors)
UR and LR Lingual
Right
11:00
(12:00 )
UL Buccal
(12:00)
UL Lingual
LL Buccal
LL Lingual
10:00
Notice that operator position and the direction of the instrument handle changes at the canine on the dominant side *. *
Midline

20. * Probing Sequence (per quadrant): * For Left Handed Clinicians:
(limited radius)
Midline *
For Left Handed Clinicians:
Area
Patient’s Head
Clock Position
UL and LL Buccal
(Anteriors)
Right
(Neutral)
2:00-1:00
(12:00)
UL and LL Lingual
Left
UR Buccal
1:00
UL Lingual
LL Buccal
LL Lingual
2:00
Notice that operator position and the direction of the instrument handle changes at the canine on the dominant side. * *
Midline

21. Things to keep in mind:
The video on exploring technique demonstrates this beautifully!!! Can you find it?

22. This is where your Dental Anatomy is going to come to play!!!

23. Need to adapt instrument tip to the contours of the tooth-
in this case, the
concavity.

24. Adapting instrument tip to the concavity:

26. Distal of the mesial root
Mesial of the distal root

27. The End!