Periodontal disease has been shown to be one of the most common oral conditions of the human population with a prevalence of 20-50% of the entire global population. It is characterized by progressive destruction of the tooth-supporting apparatus, which is demonstrated by clinical attachment loss, radiographic alveolar bone loss, periodontal pockets, and gingival bleeding. To provide a more comprehensive view of periodontitis, the new EFP/AAP classification used a staging and grading approach by capturing the disease’s severity/extent and progression, as well as considering the complexity of the required treatments and the patient’s prior experience with the disease. Periodontitis grading introduced a new element, presence of risk factors namely diabetes mellitus and smoking to consider when assessing the progression rate that can then alter the degree of periodontitis. The goal of grading was to use the current information at hand to assess the likelihood that the case will either advance more quickly or respond less to standard therapy. Periodontitis stages III and IV showed the least frequency on a sample of adult Egyptian patients compared to stages I and II or to gingivitis in a recent study. Since periodontal disease is considered multifactorial, effective disease management requires a clear understanding of all the associated risk factors/indicators. Understanding the different stages of periodontal diseases could offer a major contribution to the periodontal health information of the Egyptian population which can encourage raising awareness and providing preventive measures. Furthermore, it could be beneficial for policy makers to provide financial and human resources offering comprehensive screening programs to assess the oral health and periodontal treatment needs at an early age.
