Development of A Self-Assessment Tool for Personalized Preventive Periodontal Care Among the Saudi Population Using Semi-Supervised Learning

Periodontal disease is a common oral health problem that can progress silently and may lead to gum inflammation, tooth loss, and reduced quality of life if not detected and managed early. Many people may not recognize early signs or may delay seeking dental care until symptoms become more noticeable. An online self-assessment tool may help members of the public identify whether they are at higher risk and encourage timely evaluation and preventive care.

This observational study will collect labeled data to evaluate the accuracy of an online periodontal self-assessment tool in the general adult population. Participants will complete a structured online questionnaire that asks about oral and periodontal health symptoms, dental history, oral hygiene practices, and other health-related factors commonly linked to periodontal risk. During the same visit, each participant will undergo a standardized clinical periodontal examination conducted by a trained clinician. The clinical examination will serve as the reference standard to assign a periodontal risk label for each participant, categorized as low, medium, or high risk according to predefined criteria in the study protocol.

The primary purpose of this labeled-data phase is to compare the questionnaire-based assessment with the clinically determined risk level (low/medium/high) to determine how well the self-assessment tool identifies periodontal risk in the general public. Primary analyses will evaluate agreement and accuracy between questionnaire outputs and the clinical reference label (for example, diagnostic accuracy measures and agreement statistics).

This study does not assign any treatment or preventive intervention. Study activities include completion of an online questionnaire and a same-visit periodontal clinical examination. Risks are minimal and may include mild, temporary discomfort or minor bleeding during periodontal probing, as well as potential privacy risks related to collection of questionnaire responses and clinical findings. To protect confidentiality, participants' data will be recorded using a study identifier rather than direct personal identifiers and will be stored in secure, access-controlled systems accessible only to authorized study personnel.

The results of this study are expected to support validation and refinement of the self-assessment tool and inform future efforts to improve early identification of periodontal risk and promote preventive oral health care at the community level.

Inclusion criteria

• Adult aged 18 years or older
• Able to read and understand the study information and provide informed consent
• Able to complete the online questionnaire independently (on a smartphone/tablet/computer)
• Willing to undergo a same-visit clinical periodontal examination
• Has natural teeth present (dentate)

Exclusion criteria

• Completely edentulous (no natural teeth)
• Currently undergoing active periodontal treatment (e.g., scaling and root planing) or received periodontal therapy within the past [6 months]
• Took systemic antibiotics within the past [3 months]
• Unable to complete the questionnaire or examination due to cognitive impairment, severe illness, or communication barriers that prevent informed consent
• Refuses or is unable to tolerate the periodontal clinical examination