A Novel Method for Evaluating Periodontal Recession: A Feasibility Study

Purpose: To evaluate whether a three-dimensional (3D) optical method currently used for the production of dental restorations could be applied to the simultaneous evaluation of the height and width of periodontal recessions, and determine the reproducibility and accuracy of the method for evaluating periodontal recession. Materials and Methods: The height and width of periodontal recessions scratched onto stone replicas were recorded using a 3D optical method, a periodontal probe, and a caliper. Results: No difference was found between measurements obtained using the methods tested (p > 0.05). However, measurements using the 3D optical method showed the highest reproducibility. Conclusion: The 3D optical method allowed the accurate and reproducible evaluation of the height and width of periodontal recessions. The next step should be the development of fully automated soft-tissue monitoring software to increase time savings. Keywords: recession, diagnosis, evaluation, computerbased, reproducibility, accuracy