Does Vitamin D Reduces Tooth Decay by 50%?

The December issue of Nutrition Reviews reported the results of a study that found that vitamin D is going to a 50% reduction in dental caries, a.k.a. tooth decay. The study was a review of 24 controlled clinical trials of approximately 3000 children in multiple nations

"My main goal was to summarize the clinical trial database so that we could take a fresh look at this vitamin D question," said Dr. Philippe Hujoel of the University of Washington, who conducted the review.

While vitamin D's role in supporting bone health was never in dispute, there have been significant disagreement over its role in preventing dental caries.

Historical Perspective
Vitamin D' role in preventing tooth decay has been known as far back as 1950 when both the American Medical Association and the U.S. National Research Council concluded that vitamin D was beneficial in managing dental caries. however, current reviews by the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Human Health and Service and the American Dental Association draw no conclusions on the vitamin D evidence as it relates to dental caries.

"Such inconsistent conclusions by different organizations do not make much sense from an evidence-based perspective," Hujoel said. The trials he reviewed increased vitamin D levels in children through the use of supplemental UV radiation or by supplementing the children's diet with cod-liver oil or other products containing the vitamin.

"Whether this is more than just a coincidence is open to debate," Hujoel said. "In the meantime, pregnant women or young 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."