Vitamin D Shows Promise in Reducing Caries

Vitamin D Shows Promise in Reducing Caries

A systematic review of 24 controlled clinical trials (CCTs) revealed that vitamin D exposure was associated with a nearly 50% decrease in the incidence of dental caries. The review involved 24 CCTs in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Austria, New Zealand, and Sweden from the 1920s to the 1980s that included 2,827 children between the ages of 2 and 16. The children received vitamin D supplementation from either nutritional sources or exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

The review, led by Philippe Hujoel, PhD, DDS, MSD, MS, of the University of Washington in Seattle, was published in the December issue of Nutrition Reviews. The study weighs in on the long-contested debate of whether vitamin D reduces tooth decay. While the US National Research Council and American Medical Association both stated in 1950 that vitamin D supported caries management, the American Dental Association (ADA) disputed the claim and, in 1989, the National Research Council deemed the issue “unresolved.” Further, recent literature reviews conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Medicine, and the ADA have not shed any additional light on a possible link.

While the authors note that some of the reviewed CCTs had significant flaws that could have affected results, they encourage parents to ensure their children get enough vitamin D due to its other benefits. According to Hujoel, “Pregnant women and mothers can do little harm by realizing that vitamin D is essential to their offspring’s health. Vitamin D does lead to teeth and bones that are better mineralized.”

In light of the increasing prevalence of early childhood caries, future research will hopefully be able to determine the validity of the vitamin D/dental caries link.