There has been recent criticism of explorers being used in dentistry. Typically, dental explorers are used to probe areas of teeth with carious lesions. The dental explorers allow dentists to get a tactile feel for the lesion and thus make a better diagnosis. In some instances, dental explorers are much more effective in diagnosing problems with fissure caries than transillumination and laser detection devices.

Critics of dental explorers claim that using the sharp tool over an area of decayed tooth enamel will cause the enamel to open and a cavity to form. Rather than use the explorers in diagnosing dental problems, critics suggest that hygiene and fluoride treatments should be used instead. Also, tools such as radiographs should be employed rather than dental explorers.

Despite these criticisms, dental explorers continue to be an essential tool in diagnostics. What the critics fail to address is that dentists are fully trained in the use of dentistry explorers with training beginning in dentistry school and continuing throughout their practice. Techniques are continuously being reevaluated which is why dental explorers were criticized after so many years of use.

Another aspect that critics of dental explorers fail to address is that explorers alone are not used to diagnose caries. That is because, with the proper force, an explorer could be pushed into any healthy area of tooth. Instead, explorers first must be used over the surface of a tooth in order to feel for a "catch" when they go over a fissure. When the explorer is inserted into the fissure, it will resist removal. Additionally, the area surrounding the fissure will be opaque and have softened enamel and the base of the fissure will be soft as well. Only when all of these conditions are met can dental explorers diagnose caries.

As some critics suggest, dentists are not ramming explorers into healthy areas of teeth every moment they feel a bit of softness on the surface. Rather, dental explorers are used with skilled hands and other diagnostics. While other diagnostic tools for caries do exist, dental explorers are much more practical in terms of efficiency. A skilled dentist can locate caries in a matter of seconds by using an explorer for dentistry. Because dental explorers are so easy to acquire and maintain, caries are much more likely to be located quickly on a patient than if other expensive and time-consuming diagnostic measures were taken.

While dental explorers are time-honored tools of the practice, they are not beyond criticism. In order for a dentist to receive an accurate tactile feel from explorers, the tool needs to be sharp. It is important that all dentistry professionals are maintaining their dental explorers regularly. A dull explorer will require more force to insert into a fissure and could lead to the accidental puncturing of healthy tooth enamel.

Another issue with dental explorers is that they are rarely made ergonomically. Because these tools need to designed for tactility, it is important that they contain comfortable grips such as silicone handles.