The FP17 Clinical Data Set: Highest BPE, Untreated Decayed Teeth and Recall

The FP17 clinical data set now includes three items every dentist in England must record for adult NHS patients: the highest BPE sextant score, the number of untreated decayed teeth, and the recommended recall interval. They are mandatory on Band 1, 2 and 3 claims where the date of acceptance is on or after 1 October 2022 and the patient is 18 or over. For under-18s they remain optional.

These fields look small on the form. But they are clinical findings, not admin ticks, and they have to match what is in the patient's notes. This guide explains what each one means, where practices go wrong, and how to make sure the numbers come straight from the chart instead of being guessed at claim time.

It covers NHS dentistry in England, where the FP17 is used; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run different claim systems. The NHSBSA wording quoted here was checked in September 2026.

What is the FP17 clinical data set?

The FP17 is the claim a practice submits to the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for each completed NHS course of treatment in England. As well as the band and the treatment items, it carries a block of clinical information about the patient. That block is known as the clinical data set.

From 1 October 2022, as part of the dental contract changes announced that July, three new items were added. The aim was to track how NICE guidance on recall intervals is being used, and to collect data on untreated decay and gum health. The NHSBSA explains the changes on its page about FP17 and FP17O changes from 1 October 2022.

The three fields at a glance

• Highest BPE sextant score: the highest Basic Periodontal Examination code, from 0 to 4, across all six sextants.
• Untreated decayed teeth: the total number of teeth decayed into dentine at the examination, excluding arrested decay but including recurrent decay around fillings.
• NICE guidance recall interval: the recall the dentist recommends, between 3 and 24 months, personalised to the patient's risk.

All three are mandatory for adults on banded claims with an acceptance date on or after 1 October 2022. The wording in this guide follows the NHSBSA's guidance for the completion of FP17 activity submissions.

Who the clinical data set applies to

The rule turns on two things: the patient's age on the date of acceptance, and the band.

• Adults (18 and over) on Band 1, 2 or 3: all three fields are mandatory.
• Under-18s: the fields remain optional.

Note that age is taken on the date of acceptance, when the course of treatment starts. A patient who turns 18 halfway through a course is still treated as under 18 for that claim.

Highest BPE sextant score

The Basic Periodontal Examination scores each of six sextants from 0 to 4. The FP17 wants only the highest of those six numbers. A patient whose BPE reads 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 has a highest sextant score of 3.

On the FP17 form, the field is a drop-down of 0 to 4 plus a hyphen. The NHSBSA says the hyphen is for use when it is not possible to carry out a BPE assessment. That is not the same as a 0. A 0 says the gums were checked and found healthy.

Two points catch practices out:

• Excluded sextants are not zeros. Under the British Society of Periodontology rules, a sextant with fewer than two teeth is not scored. If your notes turn a missing sextant into a 0, you are recording health that was never measured.
• Highest, not latest. The claim wants the highest score from the BPE recorded for the course, not whichever exam happens to be on the screen.

Our guide to BPE scores explains each code, furcation and the rules for children.

Untreated decayed teeth

This is the total number of teeth decayed into dentine at the clinical examination, whether that is a check-up or the start of a course of treatment. The NHSBSA definition excludes arrested decay and includes teeth with recurrent decay around fillings.

It is easy to confuse with the older decayed, missing and filled boxes on the FP17. Those ask for the number of decayed permanent and deciduous teeth at the start of the course. The NHSBSA is explicit that untreated decayed teeth is a distinct field. It counts teeth, not cavities, so a tooth with two carious lesions counts once.

The trap here is the default. Some practice systems pre-fill this field with 0, and it is sent unless someone changes it. If nobody enters the real count, the claim tells the NHS the patient had no decay at all. That is a clinical statement made by accident.

The NICE recall interval

The third field records the recall interval the dentist recommends. The NHSBSA says it should be between 3 and 24 months and personalised to the patient and their level of oral health risk. This follows NICE guideline CG19, which replaced the fixed six-month check-up with risk-based intervals.

Our guide to NICE dental recall intervals covers the full rules and how to run personalised recalls at scale.

Common mistakes with the FP17 clinical data

• Leaving a default decayed-teeth value. If the field is pre-filled with 0, real decay goes unreported.
• Scoring an empty sextant as 0. It claims healthy gums in a part of the mouth with too few teeth to screen.
• Using the latest BPE, not the highest. If there were two exams, check which one the claim should use.
• Counting lesions instead of teeth. The field is a count of teeth.
• Rebuilding the data from memory. If the chart and the claim disagree, the claim is the one that is hard to defend.
• Missing the age rule. Age is set on the date of acceptance, not the date of completion.

Getting the clinical data set from the chart

The FP17 clinical data set is only as good as the charting behind it. If the BPE and decay findings are recorded properly at the examination, the claim numbers are already there. When you review your software, check that it can:

• Record a full six-sextant BPE with excluded sextants shown as excluded, not as 0.
• Show the highest sextant for each exam.
• Flag caries into dentine on the tooth itself, so decayed teeth can be counted.
• Keep corrections as new entries, so the chart shows what was true on the day of the claim.

DentiPoint's dental charting software records all of this on the patient's chart. The BPE grid covers all six sextants, marks excluded sextants as X and highlights the highest sextant on every exam in the history. When a clinician charts a surface finding the practice counts as decay, a "Decayed into dentine (FP17)" box records whether it reaches dentine. The practice chooses which conditions count as decay, and that choice is stored on each entry at the time, so a later change does not rewrite old findings. Nothing on the chart is overwritten; corrections are new entries with a reason.

To be clear about scope: DentiPoint does not submit FP17 claims or hold your UDA position. Claims still go to the NHSBSA through your existing route, using the numbers your chart supports. For the wider picture of bands, UDAs and claim deadlines, see our guide to NHS dental bands and UDAs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the FP17 clinical data set?

It is the block of clinical information on an FP17 claim. Since 1 October 2022 it includes the highest BPE sextant score, the number of untreated decayed teeth and the recommended recall interval for adult NHS patients in England.

Is the highest BPE sextant score mandatory on the FP17?

Yes, for adult patients on Band 1, 2 and 3 claims where the date of acceptance is on or after 1 October 2022. It remains optional for patients under 18.

What do I enter if a BPE was not possible?

The NHSBSA guidance says to use the hyphen option when it is not possible to carry out a BPE assessment. Do not enter a 0, which means healthy gums.

What counts as an untreated decayed tooth?

A tooth decayed into dentine at the examination, excluding arrested decay and including recurrent decay around fillings. It is a count of teeth, not of lesions.

Does the clinical data set apply to children?

The three fields are optional for patients under 18 on the date of acceptance. Many practices still record them where they have the information.

Does DentiPoint submit FP17 claims?

No. DentiPoint records the BPE and decay findings on the chart, but it does not send claims to the NHSBSA. Claims go through your existing route.

The clinical data set asks a simple question: does the claim match the mouth? Chart the BPE and decay properly at each examination and the answer is yes. To see a chart built around those findings, get started with DentiPoint or look at every feature on the features page.