WHO Periodontal Probes

Description

WHO Periodontal Probes

The WHO periodontal probe is the screening probe associated with the World Health Organization periodontal index. Its best known feature is the small ball at the tip, which makes probing gentler and helps the clinician feel calculus below the gingival margin. We offer it in two versions.

Standard and Calibrated Versions

The Standard option is our regular WHO probe listing. The Calibrated option comes from a separate line in our supplier range, labelled as calibrated. Because the supplier gives no further written detail on either, we do not describe marking bands beyond what the photos show. So compare the two images to see the handle and marking layout before choosing.

Why the Ball Tip Matters

A ball end spreads probing force over a rounded surface instead of a fine point. As a result, the probe slides into the sulcus with less risk of catching tissue. It also gives clear tactile feedback when it meets rough deposits on the root. For screening visits, that combination is the reason many hygienists keep a WHO pattern in every operatory.

Screening Workflow With a WHO Probe

Screening usually works sextant by sextant. First, the clinician walks the probe around the teeth in one sextant. Next, they note the worst finding for that sextant and move on. Consistency matters, therefore a practice that screens this way benefits from one probe pattern across all rooms. In addition, a spare WHO probe keeps the schedule moving while another is reprocessed.

WHO Probe Steel and Warranty

Standard and Calibrated WHO probes are stainless steel, and every WHO unit receives a United States visual check before packing. WHO probes ship unsterilized, so run each Standard or Calibrated piece through cleaning and autoclaving before screening. Either WHO version carries three years against manufacturing defects, ball tip included.

The steel follows ASTM F899, which the FDA consensus standards database lists. Browse diagnostic and periodontal instruments for more probes, compare our Williams Periodontal Probes for full pocket charting, and read our FAQs before you order.

WHO probes are sold for qualified dental and hygiene teams. Ball-tip reprocessing advice sits in care and sterilization; WHO probe parcel timing sits in shipping and delivery.