Deficient serum vitamin D level is not a risk factor for periodontitis. A cross-sectional clinical study

Aim Periodontal diseases are characterized by the presence of bleeding, inflammation, sensitivity, discomfort, mobility and tooth loss. Plenty of studies supported the assumption that vitamin D deficiency might be a risk factor for periodontal diseases. Our hypothesis aimed to investigate if there is a true association between serum vitamin D level and the presence of periodontal disease. Materials and methods Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 200 participants, 100 periodontitis and 100 non-periodontitis patients, were recruited during the routine examination and enrolled to 2 comparative groups. Results Serum vitamin D levels of periodontitis patients (11.607 +/- 7.58 ng/ml) compared to non-periodontitis patients (11.756 +/- 5.608 ng/ml) presented non statistically significant differences (p-value = 0.878). Most of the population (97%) in both groups represented significantly lower serum vitamin D levels. Serum vitamin D levels showed inverse correlation with gender (r = - 0.39) as well as age (r = - 0.09), linear correlation with systemic conditions (r = 0.04) and no correlation with periodontal conditions (r = 0.00). Conclusion The serum vitamin D deficiency is not a risk factor for periodontitis and their relationship is spurious.