A new study suggests that vitamin D may play a role in reducing the risk for dental caries in children. The study’s author, Philippe P. Hujoel, PhD, DDS, MSD, MS, a professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington, points out that his findings are far from conclusive. But paired with the knowledge that vitamin D is crucial to tooth formation, the results are encouraging.

According to the meta-analysis vitamin D supplements were associated with a 47 percent reduction in risk for caries. Hujoel analyzed 24 controlled clinical trials (CCTs) for the study, which was published in the November 9 online issue of Nutritional Reviews. The CCTs spanned over a period of 60 years, and a total of nearly 3,000 participants from six countries were evaluated between ages two to 16. Participant vitamin D levels were increased through the use of UV radiation or dietary supplements. While a significant reduction in caries risk was ascertained, there was no discernible difference between the UV therapy and dietary supplementation.

"There have been 3 studies conducted recently," Hujoel told Medscape Medical News. "They were very favorable, but they increased vitamin D levels by low amounts through full-spectrum lighting, making it unclear if the caries reduction was due to vitamin D or due to the pineal gland activation. Dentistry has emphasized fluoride and sealants, and vitamin D has fallen by the wayside."

Vitamin D’s impact on caries has been widely contested over the years. In 1950 the AMA and the U.S. National Research Council concluded that vitamin D was beneficial in managing caries while, based on the same evidence, the ADA found no conclusive proof of such benefits. Hujoel concluded that "The analysis of CCT data identified vitamin D as a promising caries-preventive agent, leading to a low-certainty conclusion that vitamin D in childhood may reduce the incidence of caries.”

Hujoel did point out that the analysis was not free of flaws: “One has to be careful with the interpretation of this systematic review. The trials had weaknesses which could have biased the result, and most of the trial participants lived in an era that differs profoundly from today’s environment. ”

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