¶ Gingival Recession & Mobility Scoring
¶ What you'll be able to do
After reading this guide you will be able to record a periodontal (gum) examination in VeriPath Dental, note structural signs of gum and tooth-support health — tooth mobility and gingival recession — and review the saved 6-point tooth records. You will learn what the mobility grades mean, how the exam screen is organised, and where the measurements are stored.
Who does this? Dentists and dental hygienists record periodontal examinations. Practice managers and dental admins can view them. Receptionists do not normally record periodontal data.
¶ Before you start
You will need:
- A VeriPath Dental login with the Dentist or Dental Hygienist role
- The patient's appointment — the exam is created from an appointment, and the patient is taken from it
- Knowledge of the FDI tooth numbers (adult 11–48, primary 51–85) so the perio record lines up with the patient's chart
¶ About mobility and recession
Two of the key structural indicators recorded during a periodontal examination are:
| Indicator | What it measures | How it is recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth mobility | How much a tooth moves in its socket | A grade from Grade 0 (firm) to Grade III (visibly loose) |
| Gingival recession | How far the gum margin has moved away from the tooth | Measured in millimetres (mm) at each tooth surface |
Mobility grades are:
- Grade 0 — the tooth is firm (normal).
- Grade I — the tooth moves slightly (up to 1 mm).
- Grade II — the tooth moves noticeably (about 1–2 mm).
- Grade III — the tooth moves freely in every direction (2 mm or more).
These are recorded as part of a periodontal exam — a full-mouth session that also captures pocket depths, plaque and bleeding scores.
¶ Step 1: Open the Periodontal screen
- Log in to VeriPath Dental.
- Click Periodontal in the top navigation bar.
The Periodontal Exams list opens. It shows one row per exam with the patient, the clinician who recorded it, the overall Plaque % and Bleeding % scores, and whether the exam has been Completed (a date) or is still Open (shown with an orange badge).
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Patient | The patient the exam belongs to |
| Clinician | The dentist or hygienist who recorded it |
| Plaque % | Overall plaque score for the mouth (0–100%) |
| Bleeding % | Overall bleeding-on-probing score (0–100%) |
| Completed | The completion date, or an Open badge if still in progress |
| View | Opens the exam's tooth records |
¶ Step 2: Start a new exam
- From the Periodontal Exams list, click New Exam.
The New Periodontal Exam form opens.
¶ Step 3: Choose the appointment and practice
- Appointment — select the patient's appointment from the list (shown as patient — date (type), for example "Adaeze Nwosu — 07/08/2026 (CHECKUP)"). The patient is taken from the appointment.
- Practice — select the practice where the exam is being recorded.
¶ Step 4: Enter the overall scores
- Plaque Score (%) — the overall percentage of sites showing plaque build-up (0–100).
- Bleeding Score (%) — the overall percentage of sites showing bleeding on probing (0–100).
- Appointment ID (optional) — you can leave this blank; it is filled automatically if needed.
- Clinical Summary — add a short summary, for example "Generalised recession noted on lower anteriors; mobility Grade II on 31."
Note: per-tooth 6-point data (pocket depths, recession, bleeding and plaque for each tooth surface) is recorded after the exam is created.
¶ Step 5: Save the exam
- Click Create Exam.
The exam is saved and you are taken to the exam detail page, where the per-tooth records are listed.
¶ Step 6: Review the tooth records
The exam detail page shows the overall scores, any clinical summary, and the Tooth Records (6-point) table — one row per tooth:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Tooth | The FDI tooth number (adult 11–48, primary 51–85) |
| Mobility | The mobility grade (Grade 0 – Grade III) |
| Furcation | Furcation involvement class (None, Class I – Class III), where relevant |
| Pocket Depth | The 6-point pocket depth measurements for the tooth's surfaces (db, b, mb, dl, l, ml) |
| Max Depth | The deepest single pocket measurement for that tooth |
Tip: the 6-point measurements use the six standard periodontal surfaces — db (distobuccal), b (buccal), mb (mesiobuccal), dl (distolingual), l (lingual) and ml (mesiolingual). Recession (in mm), bleeding and plaque are captured per surface in the same record.
¶ Useful tips
- Record mobility before probing — mobility is easiest to judge when the tooth is undisturbed.
- Use the same FDI tooth numbers as charting — so the perio record lines up with the patient's chart.
- An exam stays Open until completed — the Completed column shows the date once the exam is finished; until then it shows an orange Open badge.