2017 Periodontitis Classification — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModeratePeriodontology Principles2017 Periodontitis ClassificationMFDS Part 1

Under the 1999 classification, a patient might have been diagnosed with chronic periodontitis. In the 2017 World Workshop classification, which diagnostic formulation supersedes chronic periodontitis as a standalone category?

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Correct answer: B — Periodontitis, assigned a stage (I–IV) and grade (A–C)

Explanation lettering: D = shown as A · A = shown as B · E = shown as C · B = shown as D · C = shown as E

The correct answer is A. The 2017 World Workshop removed chronic and aggressive periodontitis as separate diagnostic entities and grouped their phenotypes under periodontitis. Stage I–IV describes disease severity and management complexity, while grade A–C principally indicates the estimated rate of progression and susceptibility. Aggressive periodontitis is therefore not the replacement category. Adult periodontitis is an older term and is not part of the current framework. Necrotizing periodontitis remains a distinct condition identified by its characteristic clinical phenotype. Periodontitis as a direct manifestation of systemic disease is also a separate category used when a systemic disorder directly causes periodontal tissue destruction; it does not replace routine chronic periodontitis.

Reference: Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Prevention and Treatment of Periodontal Diseases in Primary Care, 2nd edition, sections 3.1 and 3.2.3. November 2025. https://www.periodontalcare.sdcep.org.uk/media/vjgfn5ak/sdcep-prevention-and-treatment-of-periodontal-diseases-in-primary-care-2nd-edition-nov-2025.pdf