Association of Vitamin D and Dental Caries in Children: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006

Background: The authors sought to determine associations between serum vitamin D levels and dental caries in noninstitutionalized children aged 5 to 12 years in the United States.

Methods: The authors used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006, data to study childhood caries and vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy were defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) less than 30 nanomoles per liter and between 30 and 49 nmol/L, respectively. Associations between vitamin D and caries experience (a combined measure of untreated caries or restorations) were examined after adjustment for confounders using multivariate logistic regression at a critical value of 5%. Sample weights were used to generate nationally representative estimates.

Results: The overall prevalence of serum 25(OH)D less than 30 nmol/L and 25(OH)D between 30 and 49 nmol/L among 5- to 12-year-olds was 3% and 16%, respectively. Prevalence of 25(OH)D less than 30 nmol/L and 25(OH)D between 30 and 49 nmol/L among children with caries experience was 2% and 16%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found no significant association between vitamin D and caries experience (P = .78). Furthermore, this association was not significant after adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, ratio of family income to poverty threshold, and sugar consumption (P = .46).

Conclusions: The authors did not find a significant association between 25(OH)D status and caries experience in US children who participated in NHANES, 2005-2006.

Practical Implications: The authors' findings do not support existing evidence of an association between caries and vitamin D.