Background/Objectives: Accurate assessment of periodontal parameters such as bleeding on probing (BoP) and tooth mobility is essential for diagnosis and treatment planning. In contrast to metric measures, these findings represent more subjective clinical parameters, potentially increasing examiner-related variability, particularly among less experienced examiners. This study evaluated agreement patterns between student recordings and educator verification recordings and assessed the influence of educational level and anatomical factors. Methods: BoP and tooth mobility data recorded by undergraduate dental students (ICC1, ICC4, state examination) and verified by licensed dental educators were retrospectively analyzed, comprising 6504 BoP sites and 1084 mobility recordings. Agreement and directional disagreement (under-/over-rating) were analyzed. Statistical analyses evaluated the effects of training stage, anatomical site, and periodontal severity. Associations with probing depth deviations and patient age were also examined. Results: Overall agreement was high for both parameters (BoP: 86%; mobility: 91%). Nevertheless, statistically significant differences were observed across educational levels (global Chi2 tests p < 0.001). ICC1 students predominantly underestimated findings, whereas ICC4 students more frequently overestimated them; results stabilized in the state examination. Anatomical location significantly influenced disagreement patterns, with anterior and distal sites showing higher variability. BoP deviations were significantly associated with probing depth inaccuracies (r = 0.6; p < 0.001) and patient age (r = 0.187; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this retrospective study, student recording accuracy for subjective periodontal parameters appears to be influenced by training stage and anatomical site. These findings may highlight the importance of structured calibration and targeted training strategies to improve diagnostic reliability in undergraduate periodontal education.
Jansen et al. (Tue,) studied this question.