Or worse, you want to include a citation inside an equation:
We compare our findings with the PDG average~\mesref\citePDG:2024, noting the discrepancy at the ( 2.5\sigma ) level. mbox meson ref
If you simply type \( D_s^*+ \) , LaTeX handles it fine. But what if you need to add a subscript outside the particle name? Or a label like "Ref. [1]" inside the equation? Or worse, you want to include a citation