Errors in the clinical assessment of periodontal destruction

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Abstract
Pocket depth and loss of attachment were measured twice in millimeters on 1,335 surfaces of 335 teeth in 63 men aged 20‐40 years. The measurements were performed by one examiner. No systematic error in measuring pocket depth and loss of attachment was found. The method error for mean pocket depth was ± 0.10 mm and for mean loss of attachment ± 0.11 mm. The method error for single measurements was ± 0.36 mm and ± 0.41, respectively. This shows that the millimeter is an appropriate unit for measuring pocket depth and loss of attachment, and that both parameters may be assessed to approximately the same degree of accuracy.