¶ Plaque & Bleeding Indices
¶ What you'll be able to do
After reading this guide you will understand how VeriPath Dental records the two key periodontal indices — the plaque index and the bleeding on probing (BOP) index — as percentage scores for a patient's mouth. You will learn what each score means, how they are entered on a periodontal exam, and where they appear so you can track a patient's gum health over time.
Who does this? Dentists and dental hygienists score plaque and bleeding during a periodontal examination. Practice managers and dental admins can view the scores.
Related guide: the indices below are recorded on the same exam as the 6-point pocket depths. See Periodontal Charting (6-Point Probe) for the full charting workflow.
¶ About the two indices
Both indices are recorded as an overall percentage (0–100%) for the mouth, calculated from the number of sites that show the sign:
| Index | What it measures | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Plaque score | How much of the tooth surfaces carry visible plaque | The percentage of sites where plaque is present |
| Bleeding on probing (BOP) score | How many gum pockets bleed when gently probed | The percentage of sites that bleed on probing |
A lower score is better. Rising scores between visits are an early warning that plaque control or gum inflammation is getting worse, so the two numbers are tracked over time as an indicator of periodontal health.
¶ Step 1: Open the Periodontal screen
- Log in to VeriPath Dental.
- Click Periodontal in the top navigation bar.
The Periodontal Exams list shows one row per exam. The Plaque % and Bleeding % columns give you the two index scores for each exam at a glance — so you can see a patient's progression across visits.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Plaque % | The overall plaque index for the mouth (0–100%) |
| Bleeding % | The overall bleeding-on-probing index (0–100%) |
| Completed | The completion date, or an Open badge if still in progress |
¶ Step 2: Start a new exam
- From the Periodontal Exams list, click New Exam.
The New Periodontal Exam form opens.
¶ Step 3: Score the plaque index
- Appointment — select the patient's appointment (the patient is taken from it).
- Practice — select the practice.
- Plaque Score (%) — enter the percentage of sites showing plaque, from 0 to 100. A common way to arrive at this is to count the sites with visible plaque across the mouth and express them as a percentage of the sites examined.
Tip: be consistent about which surfaces you score (e.g. all six probe points, or a defined subset) so the percentage is comparable between visits.
¶ Step 4: Score the bleeding index
- Bleeding Score (%) — enter the percentage of sites that bled on gentle probing (0 to 100). This is the BOP index.
Tip: probe with light, consistent pressure — too much force causes bleeding at healthy sites and inflates the score.
¶ Step 5: Complete and save the exam
- Appointment ID (optional) — usually left blank.
- Clinical Summary — add a short summary, e.g. "Plaque score improved from 55% to 38%; BOP 22%."
- Click Create Exam.
The exam is saved. Per-tooth 6-point data (including per-surface plaque and bleeding flags) is recorded after creation, and the overall scores are shown on the exam's detail page.
¶ Step 6: Review the scores on the exam
The exam detail page shows both indices at the top, next to the completion status:
- Plaque: the overall plaque index percentage.
- Bleeding: the overall bleeding-on-probing percentage.
- Completed: the completion date, or "No" if still open.
The clinical summary appears below, followed by the 6-point tooth records.
¶ Useful tips
- Track the trend, not the single visit — a rising or falling percentage across exams is what tells you whether gum health is improving.
- Scores are a screening aid — combine them with the pocket depths and your clinical examination.
- Record at the same points each time — consistent scoring sites keep the index comparable between visits.