Vitamin D levels and risk for periodontal disease: A systematic review

To evaluate the existing evidence supporting or refuting the following questions: (i) Do patients with lower vitamin D levels have higher risk for periodontal disease? (ii) Are periodontal treatment outcomes improved by the adjuvant supplementation of vitamin D or by elevated serum vitamin D levels?

MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched up to September 2017. Studies were included if they had measured serum vitamin D levels or vitamin D intake and any periodontal parameter.

Overall, 27 studies were included (13 cross-sectional studies, 6 case-control studies, 5 cohort studies, 2 randomized clinical trials and 1 case series study). Sixty-five percent of the cross-sectional studies reported significant associations between low vitamin D levels and poor periodontal parameters. None of the observational longitudinal studies found that periodontal disease progression could be attributed to lower vitamin D levels. No interventional studies that evaluated the use of vitamin D supplementation as a solely adjuvant to periodontal treatment was found. No meta-analysis was performed due to high variability across studies.

The data to support or refute the association between vitamin D levels and periodontal disease are inconclusive at the moment. More rigorously designed longitudinal studies with standardized definitions of periodontal disease and vitamin D are necessary.