Effect of periodontal therapy on the oral microbiome and lung function: an intervention study

The oral cavity harbors over 700 bacterial species, and disruption of this balance can lead to periodontitis, which has been linked to systemic conditions including respiratory disease.

In this longitudinal clinical trial, 57 never-smoking adults with stage I-II periodontitis underwent full-mouth periodontal disinfection. Airway resistance and subgingival plaque sampling (analyzed by shotgun metagenomics) was measured at baseline and six weeks after therapy.

Periodontal treatment significantly improved clinical periodontal parameters, and was associated with reductions in airway resistance. Microbiome analysis showed a shift from periodontitis-associated taxa, including Prevotella, Porphyromonas, and Tannerella, toward health-associated species such as Actinomyces oris, and Rothia dentocariosa. Higher airway resistance was associated with a greater relative abundance of periodontitis-associated bacteria.

Together, findings suggest that periodontal therapy promotes a healthier oral microbiome and is associated with improved lung function in non-smokers with no prior lung disease.