An adequate vitamin D supply may reduce the risk of enamel defects in children

According to a new study from Germany, an increase in blood vitamin D concentration seems to decrease the odds of having molar-incisor hypomineralization.

In the observational study, the potential relationship between blood vitamin D concentrations and the dental health of 1,048 children was investigated over 10 years (1). The study results showed that molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) – a common condition that causes enamel to become yellow or brown in color and chalky in texture – was present in 13.6% of the children, with the average vitamin D status being 30.32 ng/ml. After adjusting for confounding factors including sex, age, parental education, and income, the data analysis showed that a 4 ng/ml increase in vitamin D concentrations reduced the odds of developing MIH by 11%.

The researchers stated that these findings suggest that elevated serum vitamin D concentrations seem to be associated with better dental health parameters. Earlier studies found that a sufficient vitamin D supply may prevent the development of dental caries and decay (2). MIH, which renders affected teeth at a higher risk for decay, can affect any of the four permanent front teeth and one to four permanent molars. The causes of MIH are not fully understood, but scientists believe it results from some outside disturbance during enamel formation.

1. Kühnisch J. et al. Elevated Serum 25(OH)-Vitamin D Levels Are Negatively Correlated with Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization. J Dent Res. Published online December 2014.
2. Martelli F. S. et al. Vitamin D: relevance in dental practice. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2014; 11(1):15-9.