• Do I have a secure finger rest with my ring finger on the incisal or occlusal surface of a nearby tooth in the same dental arch?
• Is the working end of my probe parallel to the long axis of the tooth?
• Do I know what intervals the markings on my probe stand for to correctly record the measurements?
• Am I recording the deepest reading I find on each surface correctly?
• Am I adjusting the handle of the probe to the side of my patient’s face to reach the distal surface of the maxillary molars?
• Am I using 10-20 grams of pressure when I insert the probe into the sulcus or pocket?
• Am I holding the probe in the modified pen grasp with every finger placed appropriately?
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• Am I using 1mm increments for my walking stroke to make sure I do not miss any changes like a deep pocket area in probing a across a surface?
• Do I remove the probe from the sulcus continuously in my bobbing walking strokes and miss an area that is not level with the rest of the probing depth?
• Am I angling the probe into the proximal area accurately?
• Am I taking into consideration interferences such as dental calculus or irregularities due to prostheses or restorations?
• Am I sitting in the correct clock position to accurately see and reach the specific area I am probing?
• Do I keep the probe vertical the entire time without slanting it or making it horizontal?
• Is the probe parallel to the long axis of the tooth when I take the reading?
• Am I missing any part of the circumference of the