“…Examination data from patients with systemic pathology were not included. Periodontal pocket or gingival sulcus samples were collected either by a paper point (paper point size and time in the periodontal pocket/gingival sulcus varied) (Brusca et al, 2014 ; Camargo, Silva, et al, 2016 ; Canabarro et al, 2013 ; De‐La‐Torre et al, 2018 ; Gomes et al, 2017 ; Grigoryan et al, 2019 ; Matić Petrović et al, 2015 , 2019 ; McManus et al, 2012 ; Melekhov et al, 2013 ; Mirsaeva et al, 2018 ; Rams et al, 2014 ; Razina et al, 2017 ; Risovannaya & Lalieva, 2019 ; Sanz‐Sánchez et al, 2016 ; Tsarev et al, 2012 ; Volchenkova et al, 2017 ), or a sterile curette (Camargo, Abreu, et al, 2016 ; Chumakova et al, 2012 ; Joshi et al, 2012 ; Krishnan et al, 2020 ; Matić Petrović et al, 2015 , 2019 ; McManus et al, 2012 ; Sardi, Almeida, et al, 2011 ; Sasikumar et al, 2017 ; Colombo et al, 2016 ). In three studies (Matić Petrović et al, 2015 , 2019 ; McManus et al, 2012 ), the samples were obtained by both paper points and sterile curettes.…”