Development and user-centric evaluation of a clinical decision support website application for esthetic crown lengthening planning

A gummy smile and altered passive tooth eruption pose a facial aesthetic challenge. Esthetic Crown Lengthening [ECL] requires the precise integration of aesthetic principles [Golden Proportion] and periodontal diagnosis [Coslet Classification] to achieve optimal outcomes. The complexity of manual planning necessitates a standardized, objective approach. This study describes the development of a web-based Clinical Decision Support System [CDSS] for ECL planning. It evaluates user satisfaction and the perceived clinical utility of its diagnostic logic among dental professionals. A client-side web application, the "Crown Lengthening Assistant," was developed using JavaScript to automate ECL planning based on five clinical inputs and Coslet 4 classes of altered tooth passive eruption (1 A, 2 A, 1B, and 2B). A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of dental professionals to evaluate user satisfaction and perceived accuracy using a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 63 dental professionals participated, with General Dentists [41.3%] and Periodontists [23.8%] forming the largest groups. The application received exceptionally high mean scores for design and presentation (4.78 ± 0.42) and high scores for clinical logical consistency and perceived analysis reliability (4.92 ± 0.27). Overall user satisfaction regarding the application's accuracy was documented at 92.1%. The developed CDSS effectively automates complex aesthetic and periodontal algorithms into a user-friendly digital tool. The high user satisfaction and perceived clinical utility among dental professionals suggest its potential as an effective aid for standardizing and improving the consistency of the planning process for esthetic crown lengthening.