Which index measures gingival inflammation, color, consistency, and bleeding on selected teeth using four surfaces?

• A. Gingival Index
• B. Sulcus Bleeding Index
• C. Plaque Index
• D. OHI-S

Answer: (A)

This question centers on an index that evaluates gingival inflammation across four surfaces around selected teeth, taking into account color, tissue consistency, and bleeding on probing. The Gingival Index does exactly this. It uses a 0–3 scale for each site around a tooth: 0 = normal gingiva with healthy color and firmness; 1 = mild inflammation with color change and slight edema; 2 = moderate inflammation with redness and edema; 3 = severe inflammation with ulceration and bleeding on probing. By examining four surfaces per tooth, you get a representative picture of gingival health in the mouth. Other indices focus on different aspects—plaque accumulation, debris/calculus, or bleeding alone after probing—so they don’t capture the full picture of gingival inflammation in the way this index does.