Which statement defines attachment level (CAL) in periodontal probing?

• A. The distance from the cementoenamel junction to the gingival margin
• B. The distance from the gingival margin to the tooth apex
• C. The distance from the mucogingival junction to the CEJ
• D. The distance from the occlusal plane to the CEJ

Answer: (A)

Attachment level is anchored to the cementoenamel junction and reflects how far the periodontal attachment has moved along the tooth surface. The distance from the CEJ to the gingival margin serves as the practical way to express this, because the CEJ is a fixed reference point and the gingival margin marks where the soft tissue boundary sits on the tooth. When the gingival margin recedes apically, that distance increases and contributes to attachment loss; when the margin is coronal to the CEJ due to overgrowth, that distance decreases. The other options refer to distances that don’t describe the tooth’s attached dentoalveolar apparatus (to the tooth apex, to the mucogingival junction, or to the occlusal plane).