Periodontal Charting: A Practical Guide to the Perio Chart
The DentiPoint Team · 30 October 2026 · 7 min read
Periodontal charting is the systematic recording of the gum measurements around every tooth: probing depths, gum recession, bleeding and furcation involvement, taken at six sites per tooth. It turns a quick BPE screen into a full baseline you can compare at every review, which is how a practice shows whether gum disease is stable, improving or getting worse.
This guide is written for clinicians, dental nurses and practice managers. It explains what a perio chart records, how to calculate probing depth, what the numbers mean, when a full chart is needed, and what to look for in software. It sits alongside our guides to BPE scores and dental charting.
What is periodontal charting?
Periodontal charting, often called perio charting or a perio chart, is a detailed record of the health of the gums and the tissues that support each tooth. A clinician measures six points around every tooth with a periodontal probe and writes the numbers on a chart, so that the same sites can be measured again and compared over time.
It is different from the Basic Periodontal Examination. The BPE is a screen that gives one code per sextant. A periodontal chart gives you a number for every site, which is what you need to plan and monitor treatment. In UK practice the usual route is that a BPE code of 3 or 4 leads to a full 6-point chart, following the British Society of Periodontology's BPE guidelines.
What is a 6-point periodontal chart?
A 6-point periodontal chart records probing depth at six sites on each tooth: three on the cheek or lip side (mesial, mid and distal) and three on the tongue or palate side. For a full set of 28 to 32 teeth that gives up to 192 measurements, which is why entry speed and accuracy matter.
Alongside the six depths, a full perio exam normally records:
- Gingival recession, measured from the cemento-enamel junction to the gum margin.
- Bleeding on probing, noted for each site.
- Furcation involvement on multi-rooted teeth.
- Tooth mobility, graded for each tooth.
- Plaque, either as a score or a site-by-site record.
How do you calculate probing depth?
Probing depth is the distance in millimetres from the gum margin to the base of the pocket, read from the markings on the probe. You do not calculate it from other figures: you read it directly at each of the six sites and write it down. Clinical attachment loss is the figure you calculate.
To work out clinical attachment loss, add the recession to the probing depth when the gum margin has moved below the cemento-enamel junction, and subtract it when the margin sits above. For example, a 4 mm pocket with 2 mm of recession is 6 mm of attachment loss. Attachment loss is a better guide to the true damage than probing depth alone, because a receded gum can hide a deep problem behind a shallow-looking pocket.
Is probing depth the same as pocket depth?
In everyday practice the two terms mean the same thing: the measured depth of the sulcus or pocket from the gum margin. Strictly, probing depth describes the measurement you took, while pocket depth describes the anatomical space, and the two can differ slightly with probing force and inflammation.
The practical rule is to use one probe, one light probing force and one set of sites, and to say “probing depth” in the notes. That keeps readings comparable between visits and between clinicians.
What are good perio charting numbers?
As a general guide, probing depths of 3 mm or less with no bleeding are usually regarded as healthy. Depths of 4 mm to 5 mm suggest early to moderate pocketing, and 6 mm or more is a deep pocket. Bleeding on probing matters as much as depth, because a bleeding site is inflamed even when it is shallow.
| Probing depth | Usual reading | Matches BPE code |
|---|---|---|
| 3 mm or less, no bleeding | Healthy site | 0 |
| 3 mm or less, with bleeding | Gingival inflammation | 1 |
| 3 mm or less, with calculus or an overhang | Plaque-retentive factor | 2 |
| 3.5 mm to 5.5 mm | Shallow to moderate pocket | 3 |
| More than 5.5 mm | Deep pocket | 4 |
These bands are a guide, not a diagnosis. The diagnosis depends on attachment loss, radiographs, risk factors such as smoking and diabetes, and the clinician’s judgement.
When should periodontal charting be done, and how often?
Do a full perio chart when the BPE shows a code 3 or 4 in a sextant, when a patient is starting periodontal treatment, and when you need a new baseline after treatment. How often to repeat it is a clinical decision based on the patient’s risk and how they respond, not a fixed interval.
A sensible practice routine is to chart at diagnosis, re-chart after initial non-surgical therapy to judge the response, and then re-chart at the maintenance intervals the clinician sets. Record the BPE at every examination in between, because it is the quick check that tells you when a full chart is due again. Our guide to NICE recall intervals explains how risk sets the review interval.
What is staging and grading of periodontitis?
Staging and grading is the way periodontitis has been classified since the 2017 world workshop. The stage, from I to IV, describes how severe and complex the disease is. The grade, from A to C, describes the likely rate of progression. A full perio chart supplies much of the data a clinician needs to assign both.
The British Society of Periodontology published practical guidance for UK practice in the British Dental Journal, with the BPE as the starting point and a diagnostic statement such as “generalised periodontitis, stage III, grade B, currently unstable” as the end point. Staging relies on the clinician’s judgement and radiographs as well as the chart, so no chart or software should assign a stage on its own.
What should a periodontal chart template include?
A periodontal chart template should have a field for every measurement above, laid out in the order a clinician works round the mouth, so that nothing is missed. If you use paper, print the template once and keep it consistent. If you use software, check that it covers each item below.
- Patient name, date of birth, date of exam and the clinician who took it.
- Six probing depths per tooth, for every tooth present.
- Recession and, from it, clinical attachment loss.
- Bleeding on probing per site, plus furcation and mobility per tooth.
- Plaque score and any risk factors noted.
- The BPE codes from the same visit, so the screen and the full chart sit together.
- A comparison with the previous chart, so change is obvious at a glance.
How do you chart periodontal findings in dental software?
Good software lets you enter the six depths by tooth in a grid, using the keyboard, so you can keep your eyes on the mouth, and then keeps every past exam so you can compare. It should store the chart on the patient record next to the BPE, notes and treatment plan, and let you print or share it.
DentiPoint’s dental charting software includes full perio exams with grid entry, BPE with excluded sextants, and the option to print or email the chart as a PDF. It sits on the patient record, so the perio chart, notes and treatment plan are in one place. Software records and compares the measurements; the clinical decisions and the staging remain the clinician’s.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a BPE and a perio chart?
A BPE is a quick screen that gives one code per sextant. A perio chart records six depths per tooth plus recession, bleeding, furcation and mobility, and is used to plan and monitor treatment.
How long does periodontal charting take?
A full 6-point chart of a complete dentition takes noticeably longer than a BPE, depending on the clinician, the number of teeth and whether an assistant is recording. Using a dental nurse to record the numbers speeds it up.
Who can carry out perio charting?
Dentists, hygienists and therapists can chart within their scope of practice and training, and a dental nurse often records the numbers as the clinician calls them out.
Does DentiPoint stage and grade periodontitis?
No. DentiPoint records the chart and keeps every exam for comparison. The diagnosis, stage and grade are clinical decisions made by the clinician.
Related: Types of Dental X-Rays: Bitewing, Periapical, OPG and More · BPE Scores Explained: Codes 0 to 4, Furcation and What to Record