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'Bleeding on probing' is a term used by dentists when referring to bleeding that is induced by gentle manipulation of the tissue at the depth of the gingival sulcus, or interface between the gingiva and a tooth. This is often accomplished with the use of a periodontal probe.
Bleeding on probing, often abbreviated BOP, is a sign of inflammation and is indicative of some sort of destruction and erosion to the lining of the sulcus.^[1] In order to determine the periodontal health of a patient, the dentist records the sulcular depths of the gingiva as well as observe for any bleeding on probing.
1. Fermin A. Carranza. CARRANZA'S CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, 9th edition, 2002. page 447