Bleeding on probing (BOP)

Bleeding on probing (BOP) (dichotomous) originates from the soft tissue wall of the periodontal pocket and is expected to occur immediately or 10-20sec following gentle probing. Presence of BOP can be recorded as “+, red/black dot or thick”.

In addition to BOP we can also record the presence of exudate (suppuration – S) by using finger pressure in apico-coronal direction that can force the exudate out of the pocket. The exudate is a pale yellow in color and can be spotted along the gingival margin.