Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its relationship with oral pathology

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent oral diseases, affecting a large part of the population. More and more studies are emerging on the interaction between this pathology and systemic diseases with an inflammatory basis, considering it to be a disease that causes low-grade inflammation of a systemic character. Moreover, in recent years, it has been recognised as being bidirectionally related to the seriousness of COPD, through microbial colonisation of the respiratory system by dental plaque or inflammation of the respiratory tract caused by periodontal pathogens. In this lecture we review these concepts from both a pulmonary and oral disease perspective, including apical periodontitis.