Vitamin d deficiency and its effects on tooth structure and pulpal changes

Abstract

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that produced primarily by sunlight exposure or obtained from dietary sources, including supplements. The persons who are normally at risk of Vitamin D deficiency are those with scarce of sun exposure and diminished intestinal absorption or limited oral intake. Teeth are nothing but mineralized structure which is enclosed by alveolar bone and are developed by 3 different hard tissues such as dentin, enamel, and cementum. Vitamin D plays a predominant vital part in the tooth and bone mineralization, and it can result in rachitic tooth when the levels get unregulated. Studies suggest that Vitamin D deficiency causes hypocalcified dentin and delayed tooth eruption; thus, representing that Vitamin D has a crucial role in dentin formation as well. The beneficial effects of vitamin D on oral health are not only limited to the direct effects on the tooth mineralization but are also applied through ability to stimulate the production of anti-microbial peptides. In this article, we will briefly discuss the influence on Vitamin D level on the oral and pulpal health.