[Possible correlations between periodontitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Review of the literature]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex, multifactorial inflammatory disease of the airways and the pulmonary parenchyme, caused by infection, air pollution and particles. 4-7% of the adult population is involved. COPD is the 4th-6th common cause of death throughout the world. The main aetiological factor is smoking. Bacteria, such as bacteria from the oral cavity, could play a keyrole in the progression of the disease. Epidemiologic studies have noted a relationship between poor oral hygiene or periodontal bone loss and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The prevalence and mortality of the disease is increasing worldwide, the treatment is expensive, the efficiency of the present pharmacotherapy is poor, so the importance of prevention should be increasing. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to frequent exacerbations which are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This review is a short summary of studies about the possible relationship between periodontitis and COPD.