Bleeding and calculus presence in BPE Code 2 Sextants
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation into the relationship between bleeding on probing and the presence of calculus or other plaque retention factors in British Periodontal Examination(BPE) Code 2 sextants in patients attending a general dental practice in London.
IRAS ID
154104
Contact name
Philip Ower
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Research summary
Gum disease is caused by inflammation of the gums in response to bacteria forming colonies around the margins between the teeth and gums. To check if a patient may have gum disease, a quick test, the Basic Periodontal Exam (BPE), is used routinely in clinical practice. The score should indicate the level of gum disease. Bleeding is a sign of gum disease and if it occurs without the presence of a periodontal pocket the site or area is given a score of 1. An area is given a BPE score 2 if there is a hard mineralised build-up (calculus) around the gum margins, or if there is a filling or crown with a rough or overhanging margin. Both of these factors could exacerbate gum disease, but neither are signs of active disease. This means that an area with a BPE score 1 has active gum disease in the form of gingivitis, but there may not be active disease at sites with the higher score of 2. Studies have shown up to 47% of areas might have calculus without bleeding or other signs of gum disease. The percentage of patients in which this happens has not been assessed in a UK population.
This study will therefore investigate the percentage of BPE scores = 2 where there are plaque retention factors (calculus and overhangs) but no bleeding in a sample of adult patients attending a London general dental practice. The study is an MSc project
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/1155
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion