How should you treat a sextant coded 1 with BOP?

• A. Emphasize plaque control, reinforce oral hygiene, and monitor the sextant; no invasive intervention is required unless deeper signs appear.
• B. Perform invasive intervention immediately.
• C. Extract the tooth in the sextant.
• D. Schedule full-mouth extraction.

Answer: (A)

This situation tests how to manage gingival inflammation indicated by bleeding on probing with a mild CPITN code. When there is bleeding on probing but no deeper pocketing or attachment loss, the situation is best handled with noninvasive, reversible measures. Focus on removing the local irritants by improving plaque control and oral hygiene, and reinforce the patient’s home-care routine. A professional cleaning to remove plaque and any calculus, plus instructions on brushing, flossing, and interdental cleaning, should be provided, followed by a re-evaluation after a short interval to check if the bleeding resolves as inflammation subsides. Invasive procedures or extractions aren’t indicated at this stage because there’s no evidence of periodontal breakdown. If, on re-evaluation, deeper pockets or attachment loss are detected, then the treatment plan would escalate accordingly.