In a recession scenario with probing depth 3 mm and gingival recession 2 mm, CAL is

• A. 5 mm
• B. 3 mm
• C. 2 mm
• D. 7 mm

Answer: (A)

Clinical attachment level represents how much tooth-supporting tissue has been lost, and you find it by adding the pocket depth to the gingival recession. Here, the probing depth is 3 mm and the gingival recession is 2 mm, so CAL = 3 + 2 = 5 mm. This reflects the total distance from the cementoenamel junction to the base of the pocket. Using only the pocket depth would understate attachment loss, and using only recession would miss the current pocket depth; the combination gives the true attachment loss of 5 mm.