Dental Explorers In Germany
Written by the Equate Instruments Technical Team · Reviewed by the Medical & Dental Board, Equate Instruments · Published ·
In Germany, Equate supplies 64 dental explorers references directly to clinics, dental groups and distributors. The Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) found that 77.6% of 12-year-olds in Germany were caries-free (IDZ).
Key points
- Dental explorers are class Ir devices under EU MDR 2017/745.
- The KZBV is the public-law umbrella body of Germany's 17 regional associations of statutory health insurance dentists and represents nearly 63,000 dentists in statutory dental care (KZBV).
Dentists in Germany at a glance
- Practising dentists: 69,339 (2014) to 71,983 (2024)
- +3.8% since 2014
- Practising dentists: 69,339 (2014) to 71,983 (2024)
- Eurostat (dataset hlth_rs_prs2, Health personnel), 2024
- Germany had 103,998 dentists in total, of whom 73,511 were professionally active (German Dental Association, BZÄK).
- 103,998
- Germany had 103,998 dentists in total, of whom 73,511 were professionally active (German Dental Association, BZÄK).
- Bundeszahnärztekammer (BZÄK), 2024
- At the end of 2024, there was on average one treating dentist for every 1,137 inhabitants in Germany (BZÄK).
- 1,137
- At the end of 2024, there was on average one treating dentist for every 1,137 inhabitants in Germany (BZÄK).
- Bundeszahnärztekammer (BZÄK), 2024
- In Germany, 43,663 dentists worked self-employed in their own practice (BZÄK).
- 43,663
- In Germany, 43,663 dentists worked self-employed in their own practice (BZÄK).
- Bundeszahnärztekammer (BZÄK), 2024
- dental schools listed
- 30
- dental schools listed
- Equate research
- Untreated caries, age 5+31.7%
- Severe periodontal disease, 15+27.4%
- No natural teeth, 20+11.7%
The dark line marks the median of Equate's 22 markets. Source: WHO Oral Health Country Profiles 2022 (2019 estimates).
Which types of dental explorers do clinics in Germany stock?
- 11/12 explorers
- Explorer-probe combinations
- Shepherd's hook
What are dental explorers used for in Germany?
A dental explorer is a slender hand instrument with a fine, sharp, flexible tip that the clinician uses to feel the tooth surface. See the full guide to dental Explorers.
What shapes demand for dental explorers in Germany?
The KZBV is the public-law umbrella body of Germany's 17 regional associations of statutory health insurance dentists and represents nearly 63,000 dentists in statutory dental care (KZBV).
In 2021, the largest government health financing scheme covered 90% of Germany's population, according to the WHO oral health country profile (WHO).
Popular Equate dental explorers for Germany
All products
dental explorers
Explorer 18-19 Blue
EI-1207
dental explorers
Explorer 9-17C - Light Blue Silicone Slim Handle
EI-1210
dental explorers
Dental Explorer Fig. 8A Extra Thin - Solid Handle 6mm
EI-1920
dental explorers
Explorer Fig. 17 Hollow Handle 10mm
EI-1925
dental explorers
Dental Explorer Fig. 8A - Hollow Handle 10mm
EI-1928
dental explorers
Explorer Fig. 9 Hollow Handle 10mm
EI-1929
dental explorers
Explorer 5 - Double-Ended Diagnostic Explorer
EI-0044
dental explorers
Explorer Fig. 2 Extra Thin - Solid Handle 6mm
EI-0132
Where do dental students in Germany learn to use dental explorers?
Students at TU Dresden and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and 28 other Germany dental schools train with dental explorers in their clinical years.
Which dental explorers does Equate supply to Germany?
Local guides: Cologne, Dresden and Düsseldorf.
How are dental explorers regulated in Germany?
In Germany, as across the EU, reusable surgical instruments such as dental explorers fall under the Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745, as class I devices with extra requirements for reprocessing (class Ir).
Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices was adopted on 5 April 2017 and has applied in Germany and the rest of the EU since 26 May 2021, replacing the earlier directives (European Commission).
How should dental explorers be cleaned and sterilised in Germany?
Germany's joint KRINKO/BfArM recommendation on hygiene requirements for reprocessing medical devices was first published in 2001 and updated in 2012, with the current version listed as 2012/2024 (Robert Koch Institute).
In Germany, statutory health insurance pays a fixed subsidy (Festzuschuss) of 60% of the standard-care cost for medically necessary dentures, rising to 70% with five years of documented check-ups and 75% after ten years (Federal Ministry of Health).
Why do practices in Germany buy dental explorers from Equate?
- Buyers in Germany deal with the manufacturer itself, choosing from 64 dental explorers references.
- Each reference is passivated stainless steel, ultrasonically cleaned, shape-, boil- and performance-tested and individually packed, whatever the pattern.
Social listening
What dental professionals and students in Germany discuss online
Buying used instruments and checking wear
MixedStudents commonly buy and resell kits from older semesters and generally see this as safe, because course sets have seen few clinical uses. The advice is to check scalers and curettes closely: they can only be resharpened a limited number of times, and bad sharpening ruins them.
- Klinikinstrumente gebraucht kaufen??· MEDI-LEARN forum, 2014
- Klinikkoffer Dental Instrumente Zahnmedizin Instrumentarium + KFO· MEDI-LEARN forum, 2020
- Vorklinisches Instrumentarium gesucht!!· MEDI-LEARN forum, 2006
Cost of student instrument kits
CriticalGerman dental students say what they spend on preclinical and clinical kits varies a lot by university, from about a thousand euros to several thousand. Schools that lend the costly items (handpieces, articulators, phantom heads) leave students paying mainly for small hand instruments and consumables.
- Zahnmedizin Kosten· MEDI-LEARN forum, 2010
- Vorklinisches Instrumentarium gesucht!!· MEDI-LEARN forum, 2006
Equate's summary of public threads on MEDI-LEARN forum, read 2026-10-27. No posters are named and brand names are left out; thread links are listed in the page's data file.
Equate data
The Equate dental explorers range for Germany
Catalogue explorer: 64 references
Starter kit for a new practice in Germany
- Shepherd's hook:Shepherd's Hook Explorer No.23EI-0035
- Subgingival explorer:Explorer 11-12 BlueEI-1179
What buyers search for (all English-language markets Equate tracks)
About 9,900 searches a month across 18 related terms.
- dental explorer5,000
- dental explorer 11 12500
- dental explorer tool500
- endo explorer500
- endo explorer dental500
- explorer dental instrument500
Your Regional Executive · DACH
Ahmed Wali
Regional Executive, Stuttgart, Germany
Frequently asked questions
Can clinics in Germany buy dental explorers directly from Equate?
Yes. Equate sells directly to clinics, dental groups and distributors in Germany. The Regional Executive for DACH handles quotes, samples and volume pricing.
References
- Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ) (2025)
- Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices, Article 52(7) and Annex VIII (2017)
- European Commission (2021)
- Robert Koch-Institut (RKI) (2024)
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG) (2026)
- Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KZBV) (2026)
- World Health Organization (2021)
- Gehrig JS, et al. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation & Advanced Root Instrumentation. Wolters Kluwer (instrument design and explorers)
- Ekstrand K, Qvist V, Thylstrup A. Light microscope study of the effect of probing in occlusal surfaces. Caries Research 1987;21(4):368–374
- Ismail AI, Sohn W, Tellez M, et al. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS): an integrated system for measuring dental caries. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 2007;35(3):170–178
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