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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Send your letters to the Editor, British Dental Journal, 64 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8YS
Email [email protected]. Priority will be given to letters less than 500 words long. Authors must sign the letter, which may be edited for reasons of space. Readers may now comment on letters via the BDJ website (www.bdj.co.uk). A 'Readers' Comments' section appears at the end of the full text of each letter online.
PERIODONTICS BPE scores
Sir, in the supplement Oral Health Report (autumn 2013), Dr Amit Rais article, Periodontal care includes the statementthe BPE scores do not provide clinical diagnoses. However, within Table 2 it records that BPE scores of 1 and above signify certain periodontal diseases. For example, a BPE score of 3 signies mild to moderate periodontitis. I should like to question this as BPE scores are already clearly dened and are limited on what they denote:1
BPE Signies
0 Healthy periodontal tissues1 Bleeding on probing2 Plaque retentive factors such as overhanging restorations or calculus3 Probing depths of 3.5-5.5mm4 Probing score of over 5.5mm* Furcation involvement
The scores do not indicate or signify anything more than this and so, for example, a BPE score of 3 does not necessarily signify mild or moderate periodontitis as there could be false pocketing. Diagnosing periodontitis requires further special investigations, like radiographs. My point is that BPE scores do not signify other periodontal diseases nor should they be linked to certain diagnoses. P. George, by email
1. British Society of Periodontology. Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE). 2011. Online information...