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Overview :
Edwards developed a Bleeding Index (BI) for measuring the
mesial and distal interproximal sulcus health of 6 designated teeth based on
their tendency to bleed after a standard stimulus. Monitoring the index over
time can help determine if a plaque control program is effective. The author is
a caption in the US Navy.
|
Designated Tooth (US
Classification) |
Location |
|
3 |
right maxillary first molar |
|
9 |
left maxillary medial incisor |
|
12 |
left maxillary first premolar (bicuspid) |
|
19 |
left mandibular first molar |
|
25 |
right mandibular medial incisor |
|
28 |
right mandibular first premolar
(bicuspid) |
Both the mesial and distal interproximal sulcus of each
selected tooth is tested, for a total of 12 sites (6*2).
Method:
(1) Dental
tape is placed against the tooth surface in a bucco-lingal manner and inserted
to the base of the intersulcular gingival crevice.
(2) An
apical-coronal movement is made with tape twice.
(3) The
tape is then removed.
(4) The
site is observed for 15 seconds for onset of bleeding.
|
Status at End
of 15 Seconds |
Points |
|
no bleeding |
0 |
|
bleeding |
1 |
bleeding index =
= SUM(points for all 12 sites tested)
Interpretation:
• minimum
index: 0
• maximum
index: 12
• The lower
the score, the better the interproximal sulcus health.
• A decline
in the index over time indicates that the patient is using an effective plaque
control method.
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