CONSEQUENCES OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN ORAL CAVITY DISEASES

Normal individuals of all ages possess the innate ability to produce vitamin D following exposure to sunlight. Inadequate vitamin D levels have been shown to be associated with a wide range of diseases, including oral health disorders. Insufficient sunlight exposure may exacerbate some of these diseases, possibly due to impaired vitamin D synthesis. Although vitamin D can be obtained from dietary sources, dietary intake alone is often insufficient, providing only 20% of the body’s requirements. Emerging data suggest that vitamin D deficiency plays a significant role in the development of coronary risk factors and predisposes individuals to hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, and chronic vascular inflammation. Additionally, low levels of vitamin D have a significant impact on oral health status due to its immunoregulatory properties.The beneficial effects of vitamin D on oral health extend beyond direct effects on tooth mineralization; they also include anti-inflammatory functions and the stimulation of antimicrobial peptide production. Consequently, various oral pathologies are influenced by low levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. Chronic and/or severe vitamin D deficiency can result in decreased intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption, leading to hypocalcemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. This secondary hyperparathyroidism, in turn, causes phosphaturia and accelerated bone demineralization, ultimately resulting in osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults and osteomalacia and rickets in children. Vitamin D is highly implicated in oral diseases and has been associated with a higher risk of tooth defects, caries, periodontitis, failure of oral treatments, and interference in the development of oral cancers.