What do gum health scores mean?

by No.4 Dental Studioin Newson Posted on

You may hear us using different ways to describe your gum health.

BPE (Basic Periodontal Examination)

As part of your dental health check, we carry out a BPE (Basic Periodontal Exam) where your gum health is scored from 0 (excellent) to 4 (advanced gum disease)

Pocket depth

We also talk about pocket depth. This is a measure of gum health and is a reading in mm of the depth of the pocket between your tooth and gum. Healthy pockets are 0-3mm deep and >3mm is a sign of gum disease (deeper pockets = more advanced disease)

These scores are nuanced however, because we also have to consider other factors including biofilm build-up, recession, redness or bleeding from the gums (gingivitis) and how quickly gum disease may be progressing. This is why it’s important to visit regularly, so we can give you a full idea of your gum health status.

If you have any questions about your gum health, ask your dentist or hygienist

BPE scores

BPE scores are given in a grid of 6, showing the 6 areas of the mouth, and might commonly look like this

103
121

If you are lucky (or dedicated) enough to score all 0s, then your gum health is excellent and we wouldn’t necessarily recommend hygiene appointments. In reality, nearly all of us benefit from visiting the hygienist regularly.

0 – Healthy gums

  • Pocket depth <3mm
  • No bleeding when we check the gums
  • No hard tartar build-up

1 – Gingivitis

  • Pocket depth <3mm
  • Some bleeding when we check the gums (a sign of gingivitis). This is caused by soft biofilm build-up.
  • No hard tartar build-up

2 – Hard Tartar

  • Pocket depth <3mm
  • May or may not be bleeding (although there usually is)
  • Presence of hard tartar build-up

3 – Gum Disease (periodontal disease)

  • Pocket depth 3-6mm
  • Deeper pockets lead to loss of support for the teeth. Risk of tooth loosening if it worsens.
  • May be bleeding (active disease) or no bleeding (inactive disease)
  • May or may not be hard tartar build-up

4 – Advanced Gum Disease (periodontal disease)

  • Pocket depth >6mm
  • Deep pockets cause significant risk of tooth loss or abscess.
  • May be bleeding (active disease) or no bleeding (inactive disease)
  • May or may not be hard tartar build-up