Periodontal Screening — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyPeriodontologyPeriodontal ScreeningORE Part 1

In an adult patient undergoing Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE), which code indicates that a full periodontal assessment, including comprehensive 6-point pocket charting of the whole dentition before treatment, is required?

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Correct answer: C — Code 4

**A. Code 4** is correct. In UK primary-care guidance, BPE Code 4 requires a full periodontal assessment, including a comprehensive 6-point pocket chart of the entire dentition, before treatment begins. This reflects the likelihood of deep periodontal pockets and the need to establish disease extent and severity at baseline. **Code 3** is the key distractor: it warrants a full periodontal examination, but detailed pocket charting is limited to the affected sextant(s) and is undertaken after initial treatment. **Codes 1 and 2** identify bleeding and/or plaque-retentive factors where preventive advice and removal of local factors are indicated; they do not mandate full-mouth charting. **Code *** denotes furcation involvement and signals the need for further assessment of that sextant, but it is a modifier rather than a standalone trigger for whole-dentition charting.

Reference: Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), Prevention and Treatment of Periodontal Diseases in Primary Care, “BPE screening of adults” (current web guidance; accessed July 2026): https://www.periodontalcare.sdcep.org.uk/guidance/assessment/clinical-examination/periodontal-probing/bpe-screening-of-adults/