6. February 2024

Dental health, immune system and bones - vitamin D and its positive influence on the body

The current study situation clearly shows how diverse the effect of vitamin D can be. Various diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders are often associated with a vitamin D deficiency 1.

Vitamin D plays a significant role in health by contributing to the regulation of a healthy immune system and the maintenance of defense functions 2,3. Furthermore, vitamin D is of immense importance for calcium balance and bone metabolism and supports intestinal calcium absorption 4. An adequate supply of the steroid hormone therefore helps to prevent osteoporosis 5. Conversely, a severe vitamin D deficiency impairs adequate tooth growth and the correct formation of tooth enamel 6,7. It is therefore all the more important to have an adequate vitamin D level and, if necessary, to supplement it in order to promote remineralization of the tooth surface and correct tooth growth 8.

People with inadequate vitamin D levels are also more likely to have poorer periodontal health and more inflammation 9. These inflammatory events are detectable in saliva, which contains more inflammatory markers when vitamin D deficiency is present 10. This further emphasizes the potential of vitamin D to prevent periodontal inflammation. Especially in the defense against disease-causing pathogens, the steroid hormone is able to stimulate the production of antimicrobial peptides, thus supporting the body’s defense functions and potentially preventing the formation of harmful plaque 11,12. Vitamin D also influences tissue growth, angiogenesis and inflammatory processes in cancer cells, so that vitamin D with its anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties could possibly slow down the progression of cancer 13,14. Even in the orthodontic field, vitamin D is becoming increasingly important, as more and more studies suggest the influence of vitamin D on tooth movement 15,16.

In summary, it can be shown that an adequate vitamin D level is important for bone remodeling and the immune system. It is therefore crucial to adjust vitamin D levels to enable optimal bone health and regeneration.

Literature

  1. Wang, H. et al. Vitamin D and Chronic Diseases. Aging Dis 8, 346 (2017).
  2. Ao, T., Kikuta, J. & Ishii, M. The Effects of Vitamin D on Immune System and Inflammatory Diseases. Biomolecules 11, (2021).
  3. Charoenngam, N. & Holick, M. F. Immunologic Effects of Vitamin D on Human Health and Disease. Nutrients 12, 2097 (2020).
  4. Fleet, J. C. The Role of Vitamin D in the Endocrinology Controlling Calcium Homeostasis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 453, 36 (2017).
  5. Khazai, N., Judd, S. E. & Tangpricha, V. Calcium and Vitamin D: Skeletal and Extraskeletal Health. Curr Rheumatol Rep 10, 110 (2008).
  6. Botelho, J., Machado, V., Proença, L., Delgado, A. S. & Mendes, J. J. Vitamin D deficiency and oral health: A comprehensive review. Nutrients vol. 12 Preprint at https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051471 (2020).
  7. Al-Jubori, S. H., AL-Murad, M. A. & Al-Mashhadane, F. A. Effect of Oral Vitamin D3 on Dental Caries: An In-Vivo and In-Vitro Study. Cureus 14, (2022).
  8. Vitamin D: Unveiling the Crucial Trifecta – Teeth, Immune System, and Bones. https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/features/vitamin-d-unveiling-the-crucial-trifecta-teeth-immune-system-and-bones/.
  9. Machado, V., Lobo, S., Proença, L., Mendes, J. J. & Botelho, J. Vitamin D and Periodontitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 12, 1–17 (2020).
  10. Jagelavičienė, E., Vaitkevičienė, I., Šilingaitė, D., Šinkūnaitė, E. & Daugėlaitė, G. The Relationship between Vitamin D and Periodontal Pathology. Medicina (B Aires) 54, (2018).
  11. Hamza, F. N. et al. Immunomodulatory Properties of Vitamin D in the Intestinal and Respiratory Systems. Nutrients 15, 1696 (2023).
  12. Khurshid, Z. et al. Oral antimicrobial peptides: Types and role in the oral cavity. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal : SPJ 24, 515 (2016).
  13. Hung, M., Almpani, K., Thao, B., Sudweeks, K. & Lipsky, M. S. Vitamin D in the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Cancer: A Scoping Review. Nutrients 2023, Vol. 15, Page 2346 15, 2346 (2023).
  14. Feldman, D., Krishnan, A. V., Swami, S., Giovannucci, E. & Feldman, B. J. The role of vitamin D in reducing cancer risk and progression. Nature Reviews Cancer 2014 14:5 14, 342–357 (2014).
  15. Almoammar, K. Vitamin D and orthodontics: an insight review. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent 10, 165 (2018).
  16. Khalaf, R. M. & Almudhi, A. A. Effects of vitamin D deficiency on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement: An animal study. Saudi Dent J 34, 129 (2022).

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