Probing in small children may especially give you problems, because the probe sometimes takes a false route, thus damaging the tissue around the tearduct. When a probe is made of silver, it tends to bend easily and can lead to damage.
Lacrymal probes made of springsteel are more rigid and less pliable.
The Howard Instruments, Inc. lacrymal probes are made of springsteel with an olivetip on one end and straight tip on the opposite end. It is not the tip of the probe that takes away the obstruction, but the pressure of the fluid that opens up the tearduct, which is then followed by the probe. It is clear that taking a false route is no longer possible. This type of probing is far less traumatic than the usual non-irrigating probe techniques.