“…It affects tooth‐supporting tissues and is linked to pulmonary diseases. Epidemiological studies across various countries and regions indicate a positive correlation between the prevalence and severity of periodontitis with the onset and progression of COPD (Kelly et al., 2021 ; Lin, Liu, et al., 2023 ; Subbappa et al., 2023 ; Suzuki, Kamio, Kaneko, et al., 2022 ; Suzuki, Kamio, Sugimoto, et al., 2022 ; Vollmer et al., 2022 ). Advanced periodontal disease may lead to epithelial damage of the lower airways by inflammatory cytokine release in response to metabolites excreted by periodontal pathogens, which attracts inflammatory cells and subsequent release of metalloproteinases, contributing to COPD progression and exacerbations (Mammen et al., 2020 ; Natalini et al., 2023 ); mechanisms by which periodontitis affects COPD progression are under investigation (Xiong et al., 2024 ).…”