I assume that if I am careful and use a high quality dental probe, I
would be able to check for sticky spots on the tops of my teeth that
would indicate caries formation, without much risk of doing any
damage.  Is that true?

If so, where can I get a simple dental probe - or set of probes - for
such a purpose?  And how much should I expect to pay?  I've seen sets
of 4 or 6 available online for under $20, but I think those must be of
pretty low quality!

Note that I would not be using this as a substitute for a twice-yearly
exam by a dentist, but only as a second check so I could steer the
dentist to questionable teeth in case he does not find them on his
own.

Thanks,

John.