Association of Vitamin D Status with Periodontal Health Among Young Adults

Background: Vitamin D influences bone metabolism and immune responses and may be associated with periodontal disease. Evidence in young adults is limited. Objective: To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) status and periodontal health in young adults. Study Design: A Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostics, Bacha Khan College of Dentistry, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, from January to June 2023. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, young adults aged 18–35 years were enrolled. Demographic and lifestyle data (BMI, smoking, daily sun exposure, vitamin D supplementation) were collected by questionnaire. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by ELISA and categorised as deficient (<20 ng/mL), insufficient (20–29 ng/mL), or sufficient (≥30 ng/mL). Periodontal assessment included probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI). Associations were tested using chi-square and one-way ANOVA; multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of periodontitis (p<0.05). Results: Vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were found in 43.3%, 36.7%, and 20.0% of participants, respectively. Periodontitis was most prevalent in the deficient group (51.3%), compared to the insufficient (24.2%) and sufficient (11.1%) groups. Mean PD and CAL were significantly higher in the deficient group (PD 4.1 mm; CAL 3.5 mm) than in the sufficient group (PD 2.4 mm; CAL 1.8 mm; p<0.001). Adjusted analysis identified vitamin D deficiency (AOR 3.20), smoking (AOR 2.50), and overweight/obesity (AOR 1.90) as independent risk factors for periodontitis. Conclusion: In this cross-sectional sample of young adults, lower serum 25(OH)D was associated with worse periodontal status. Causality cannot be inferred from this design; prospective and intervention studies are recommended.