The association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and dental caries in US adults

Objectives We investigated whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is independently associated with dental caries among adults in the United States. Subjects and Methods This investigation was a cross-sectional study. A total of 4,244 participants (aged 20-80 years) were enrolled through the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was categorized into four groups based on previous studies: normal (>= 75 nmol/ml), insufficient (50-74.9 nmol/ml), deficient (25-49.9 nmol/ml), and severely deficient (<25 nmol/ml). The dependent and independent variables included dental caries and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, respectively. The data were analyzed using univariate analyses, multivariable-adjusted analyses, and subgroup analyses. Results The fully adjusted model showed that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively associated with dental caries after adjusting for the confounders (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.98). Compared with the normal group, the likelihood of dental caries was 2.48, 1.29, and 1.43 times higher in the severely deficient, deficient, and insufficient groups, respectively. Conclusions Our findings suggest that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are significantly associated with the occurrence of dental caries among US adults.