Bacterial pathogens are the primary aetiologic factors in periodontal disease. The disease process is modified by several risk factors, including; smoking, systemic diseases and genetic influences. Host response to periodontal disease is a protective as well as a destructive process and the role of pro- inflammatory cytokines, notably interleukin-1 in bone resorption and attachment loss has been reported. A specific polymorphism in the interleukin-1 gene cluster is associated with severity of periodontitis. Studies designed to estimate the genetic risk for periodontitis indicated that both smoking habits and ethnicity are confounding factors. The prevalence of periodontitis appears to vary between populations with different genetic backgrounds, and findings from one ethnic group may not be extrapolated to other ethnic groups. Perusal of the literature indicates that this is the first study to evaluate the prevalence of the interleukin- 1 composite genotype and its association with chronic periodontal disease in a population of African ancestry. The study results might be useful to interested researchers and students alike.